


Lee Chaolan's (more or less) excellent life in the Mishima family

by ThalieXVII



Category: Tekken (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 156,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29012187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThalieXVII/pseuds/ThalieXVII
Summary: What kind of relation did Lee Chaolan have with his adoptive brother and father? From being an orphan in the streets of Shanghai to being one of the heirs of a multinational conglomerate, Lee Chaolan's life changed for the best. Yet he also has to live beside his adoptive father and brother, who are stuck in their own personal war while Lee revolves around it. The story shows the events from Tekken 1 and Tekken 2 from Lee's perspective. I try to elaborate on the canon story even though some things may be changed to fit and include as much canon characters as I can.
Kudos: 6





	1. The beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What kind of relation did Lee Chaolan have with his adoptive brother and father? From being an orphan in the streets of Shanghai to being one of the heirs of a multinational conglomerate, Lee Chaolan's life changed for the best. Yet he also has to live beside his adoptive father and brother, who are stuck in their own personal war while Lee revolves around it. The story shows the events from Tekken 1 and Tekken 2 from Lee's perspective. I try to elaborate on the canon story even though some things may be changed to fit and include as much canon characters as I can.

One day Heihachi Mishima was at a restaurant in Shanghai, talking business with an associate over the phone on the balcony. From where he was, he suddenly heard some noise down in the alley. Bending over the guardrail to see what was going on, he noticed that some kids were scavenging through the dumpster for food. The restaurant was expensive and a lot of good edible food ended up in the dumpster, so poor people were attracted to it. The garbage were still ‘fresh’ since they had just been taken outside and it seemed the kids were waiting for this since they quickly flocked toward the dumpster. The owner, who was speaking with some clients on the balcony when he heard the noise as well, went to the side of the balcony, near the Japanese businessman and muttered:

“Not them again... They are always coming to plunder my dumpster...”

The owner hated it, those wretches were making customers go away...

Then some kids, who seemed like a gang, began to pick on the other kids and forcefully steal their findings. All the other kids who didn’t belong to that gang quickly fled but a strangely silver-haired boy of about ten-eleven years old, refused to flee. He was standing on the dumpster, over the garbage while holding what he just found; the rest of a fittingly named dish called beggar’s chicken (chicken wrapped in pastry, clay or lotus leaves) and didn’t want to let go of his finding that was still warm and almost still completely wrapped in pastry, somehow protecting it from the other garbage. The apparent leader, the oldest of the group, a kid of about fourteen years old while the others seemed to be about mostly ten to twelve years old, told the kid:

“Give me what you got or I’ll dye your silver hair red!”

But the younger kid didn’t seem impressed and replied:

“Humpf! That’s a lame threat... No. I found it! It’s mine!”

“You give me that chicken right now or the only thing you’ll swallow will be my fist and you won’t be able to eat anymore without your teeth!”

“Pff! Give up with your lame threats!”

“Okay, I’ll beat you to get it then!”

“Come on, I don’t fear you!”

Standing in front of the dumpster while the silver-haired kid was above, the leader quickly tried to grab the kid’s ankle to make him fall but the young boy kicked some garbage in the face of the older boy before he gracefully jumped down from the dumpster, doing a somersault as some of the gang members began to climb it. Landing down, he quickly followed with a brutal kick to the leader’s back, sending him slamming in the dumpster.

“They’re making a terrible racket! I’m calling the police!” exclaimed the owner.

As the owner was about to go call the police, Heihachi stopped him with his arm.

“No. I want to see this...”

The owner knew that Heihachi Michima was one of his wealthiest and most influential client, so he stopped and remained standing there, wondering what the business man wanted to see exactly in a fight between street urchins.

The silver-haired boy was now engaged in a fight with the gang and Heihachi was impressed by how the kid had just kicked some other kid’s head then somehow hit the same kid’s head with his feet again as he brought his feet back on the ground, bringing the kid down with him and slamming him on the ground. He then avoided some other gang member who tried to slam a metal bar on his head by bending before he quickly tripped the attacker down. Still holding his chicken piece, the silver-haired boy quickly got up and parried the knife the gang leader tried to slash him with by kicking the hand of the older boy and making him drop his knife.

The owner was getting more nervous.

“I don’t want blood in my backstreet... I’ll get a bad reputation...”

Meanwhile the silver-haired kid quickly kicked the knife and sent it away as another kid was about to take it. The knife went under the dumpster.

Heihachi said on a casual tone:

“Well, that’s one less hazardous toy for them...”

The silver-haired kid then slammed his elbow into the face of another adversary before he quickly backed away, avoiding once more the kid with the metal bar.

“I’m calling the ...!” began the nervous owner before he was interrupted by Heihachi who said:

“No need to. I’ll go take care of it.”

And Heihachi began to go toward the kitchen where the door for the backstreet was.

Meanwhile the fight was still going on as the leader was now yelling at some kid of his group who began to flee after being punched in the face. But four still remained and as the young silver-haired boy was backing away a little, he yelled at them:

“Go away! Leave me alone! It’s mine!”

But they didn’t listen and threw themselves at him. As the silver-haired kid blocked some punch, the kid with the metal bar once more replied with a swing from his weapon. This time, the bar hit the young boy on the shoulder, making him fall as he dropped his precious chicken piece. He quickly got up but he was now surrounded by all four remaining attackers. He quickly went toward the smallest of them, grabbed him and threw him on the metal bar armed one, making himself an escape route. He quickly backed away toward the wall but did not flee. He couldn’t flee, his meal was there. He wouldn’t let those kids take it from him...

Then the leader and another kid threw themselves at him but the silver-haired kid quickly sidestepped and kicked the leader in the stomach, sending him slamming into the other kid and they both fell beside the dumpster. The metal bar one then ran toward the silver-haired kid and slammed his bar toward his adversary who once more bent down to avoid the hit. Running toward them, the smallest kid tried to punch the silver-haired kid but got grabbed again and thrown over the leader who was coming as well. The metal bar kid then quickly came back but the silver-haired kid kicked him in the face before he could swing his weapon. Dizzy, the metal bar kid let go of his weapon and fell down.

Meanwhile, the leader pushed away the small kid thrown at him, grabbed the silver-haired kid from behind and threw him on the wall before he kicked him in the ribs. The older kid then jumped on the younger kid and they began to wrestle. After a while of wrestling, the silver-haired kid noticed with some alarm that the smallest kid was now going toward his chicken piece, so he brutally punched the gang leader’s nose, making him back away in pain. Then the silver-haired kid quickly threw himself toward the meal as well and as they were now face to face while the chicken was between them, he told the other kid:

“Give up or you’re gonna get hurt.”

Having now witnessed himself the fighting reputation of the silver-haired boy they were against, the kid quickly fled. The other remaining kids also quickly fled, the leader holding his bleeding nose while whimpering. The silver-haired kid picked his chicken and made a small satisfied smile as he looked at his enemies fleeing. He was now gazing at his chicken when he suddenly heard:

“Hey, you! Get over here!”

Surprised, the silver-haired kid turned his head and noticed a richly dressed man with strange straight black hair on both side of his head, looking at him from the kitchen’s door in the alley. The man smiled and signaled him to come toward him with his hand.

Distrustful but curious, the child hesitated then went toward the man while still holding his precious meal. Confident in his abilities after that victorious fight, he told himself that he would just flee if the man wanted to hurt him or something. But once near, even if he was alert, the older man proved to be faster than him: Heihachi quickly and brutally slapped the boy’s hand, making him drop his chicken to the ground.

“Let go of that! It’s full of germs!”

Now feeling threatened, the boy tried to pick back his meal and flee but Heihachi, who was still faster, quickly grabbed his wrist and forcefully dragged him inside the restaurant. The silver-haired kid could only follow since Heihachi’s grip was too strong to get out from. Dragging the kid to the dining room, Heihachi then pushed him on a chair, grabbed a menu and put it in front of him.

“What do you want on this?”

Having lost his previous overconfidence, his slapped hand really hurting under the force of Heihachi’s hit, the silver-haired child looked at Heihachi with some fear before he answered:

“... I don’t have any money...”

Was the man forcing him to pay for his food since the owner hated when they came to his dumpster? Or giving him some lesson that you got to pay for what you take? Will he be the one to pay for all the kids who ever came to the dumpster by being humiliated in front of everyone? They were all looking at him now... The older man answered back:

“I know. You’d be crazy if you were searching in dumpsters while having money. Choose something, I’ll pay.”

“Huh...”

The kid didn’t really know what to say, so he just shyly smiled and muttered an unsure:

“Xièxiè... (Thank you)”

He didn’t know why that man was doing this, maybe it was out of kindness... It could be... even if the man looked kind of brutal... But he didn’t dare ask for a too expensive meal and didn’t even know what most of these elaborate meals were, so he pointed at some chicken and rice bowl, one of the cheapest meal. In fact, it wasn’t even a meal, it was a side dish to the real meals.

“Only this?” said Heihachi as the boy pointed his choice. “Come on! You should pick something else! I’ll choose for you!”

And Heihachi ordered some meal for the kid and some tea for him. He then ordered the boy:

“Now go wash your hands.”

Still impressed by the man, the young boy went to the bathroom to do as the man ordered him. At least, he probably won’t be forbidden to go in it since the man who invited him seemed rich...

As he went toward the bathroom, the boy was embarrassed: He kept noticing the many clients who were staring at him. The restaurant was an expensive place and people were all dressed accordingly while he was wearing a dirty shirt with holes in it, his pants were now too short since he had grown quite fast lately, his dirty socks had holes and the fact that he was wearing sandals didn’t help cover that fact. The fact he just climbed into the dumpster didn’t help him either to not look dirty. Maybe they also were staring because of his hair, not only they were dirty but the silver color was not very normal for a boy of his age... He had often been stared at for this reason... He didn’t mind the hair but he was dying of shame to be looked down by those people for his rags... But people were looking down on him each day so he shouldn’t care... Yet he never came inside the restaurant, completely among the rich people... Now he felt like an intruder and not welcomed... Once he will have eaten, unless the man had some service to ask of him, some small job to do like he sometimes have been offered, he would be gone and would not see those rich people anymore.

Self-conscious about his looks, he quickly washed himself with some napkins once in the bathroom. He washed his face, his bare arms and tried to clean as much as he could his dirty pants, shirt and socks. He then quickly washed his hands while wondering that if the man wanted something of him, what could it be? If that was the case, was it child labor? Prostitution? Or just plainly some one time contract of moving boxes, repaint some wall or sell some newspaper or something... Maybe he didn’t want anything at all...

Once he finished, he went back toward the man. The fact that the older man had been faster than him outside made him feel slightly nervous. Each time someone wanted to hurt him, he had always been quicker to react, now that man hit his hand and dragged him inside without giving him any time to react. If that man had bad intentions, he would have to use his guile to get away from him, he had his speed but also his intelligence... But maybe the man was kind, he would not have asked that he washed his hands otherwise... or even offered a meal... Yet the food could be a lure... but a potential abuser wouldn’t care if he washed his hands or not...

“I washed them.”

Putting down his tea, Heihachi grabbed the kid’s hands and looked at them to see if he really washed them as he should, looking at his nails as well. The young boy remembered how his mother always did the same when he went outside to play then came back and she asked him to wash his hands before dinner. He missed her... She died from a fire in their cheap and hazardous apartment like many others that night, among them, his father, his grandmother, his aunt... Only he survived. He didn’t have any other living relatives, so he lived in the streets, eating from dumpsters, fighting to keep the few he had. He now somehow appreciated the fatherly, even if somehow rough, way of this man. The man probably was kind yet he still had to remain distrustful.

“Fine. Now sit there. It’ll be ready soon.”

The man then told him with a smile:

“I like how you fought outside. What’s your name? How old are you?”

“Lee Chaolan, I’m eleven”, answered the boy who now thought that the man probably wanted him for some kind of fighting ring.

Was there any children fighting ring? He never heard of it if that was the case... But then there were so many things he never heard about... There probably was... He didn’t mind fighting but was it one of those organized things where he would be forced to obey and would never be able to escape from? Some kind of slavery? Most things involving kids were that... He even knew some kids who disappeared one day and never came back, probably now enslaved somewhere... He was quite distrustful...

Still smiling, the man then asked him:

“Well, Lee... Where do you live? I don’t think you live anywhere stable? Do you have a family?”

Despite Lee being his family name and that he should have been called Chaolan, the young boy didn’t correct the man since he was worrying about more troubling things, thinking: Most child abductors prefer kids without any family... Was that man a child abductor? Lee now really wondered on his intentions: Was he good or bad? There was something about him... That smile wasn’t too reassuring... Feeling really distrustful, he frowned and answered:

“No. I have no family, I live nowhere. But what do you want of me? If you want to hurt me in any way, I’ll defend myself with strengths like you never saw in your life!”

Heihachi looked impressed and amused:

“You look like my son! You’ll be perfect!”

Now Lee looked perplexed:

“... Perfect for what?”

“To keep him company! I don’t know what you were imagining but I’m not here to hurt you. I’m impressed by you! If you don’t have any family, I’m taking you to my home! You’ll be a little brother for my twelve year old son, Kazuya! Right after you finish eating, I’m going to legally adopt you!”

Still distrustful, and confused, Lee asked:

“...You really want to adopt me? ...You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not joking. I really want to adopt you to give a brother to my son. And seeing how you deserve it, I choose you. I like your determination and combativeness!”

Still surprised and constantly oscillating, wondering if that man was good or bad, Lee finally decided that he must be good. But that story was still hard to believe... To be adopted, just like that... It really looked like some kind of bad joke... or a trap... But he’ll only know the truth of his intentions once they go to the legal place to adopt, so he decided to trust the older man and see what would happen. But he wondered something... among many other things...

“... Huh... Kazuya is a Japanese name?” asked Lee while his meal was now being served.

“Indeed. I forgot to present myself: I’m Heihachi Mishima, head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. I don’t know if you ever heard about us in your area but it’s a giant multinational conglomerate.”

Lee had never heard about it. He didn’t even know what a conglomerate was...

Noticing Lee’s puzzled look, Heihachi explained more simply:

“It’s a rich company. You’ll be happy in my home.”

Lee now understood. He had no idea what they were selling but he understood the words rich and happy...

Heihachi then looked at his watch and asked Lee:

“Are you done eating yet? I must absolutely adopt you and we don’t have much time. I have a very busy schedule.”

Heihachi called the limousine to come and pick them, so having barely begun, Lee quickly tried to finish eating as much as he could. He thought it was strange that it would be his leftovers that would probably be fought for by the kids in the back alley... Maybe those who fought him will eat them...

Five minutes later, the limousine parked in front of the restaurant and Lee believed Heihachi’s story even more. A child abuser wouldn’t take his victims in such a nice car! He gasped at the view of the probably terribly expensive shiny black car with black-tinted windows.

“You can breathe, my boy, it’s just a car”, said Heihachi as he put a hand on Lee’s shoulder.

Just a car? Lee thought that man really was rich if that giant luxurious shiny car was just a car. A car was already something! His family, his neighbours, they never had cars! Almost no one has a car! Only millionaires do!

Once the driver opened the door for them, Lee marveled again at the luxurious red leather seats and interior. There was a T.V., a phone... So many gadgets... He then remembered his dirty rags and felt ashamed to enter such a luxurious thing... He shyly asked Heihachi:

“... I can go inside?”

“No. You’ll run behind”, answered Heihachi before he pushed the kid inside. “Of course, you can!”

Inside the limousine, while Lee didn’t dare move for fear of breaking something, Heihachi explained:

“With my occupation as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, I have very little time and Kazuya is often left alone in our mansion in Japan.”

Japan... That was the question Lee wanted to ask before Heihachi began talking about the conglomerate thing in the restaurant. He wanted to know if he would have to go in Japan but in that limousine, he would go anywhere! Heihachi continued explaining:

“So your company may lift his spirit and make him happier. I am still busy here and will remain in China for some weeks, so during that time, I will hire a teacher so you’ll learn Japanese to be able to have a conversation with him.”

Heihachi then quickly took care of the legal adoption papers before he told Lee, who was now gazing at him with gratitude even if he was still finding it hard to believe:

“You’re now my son. Now the limo will bring you to my hotel. I still have business to do but I called an assistant so that he sees that you are taken care of in terms of clothes and everything. A bath will be ready for you with new clothes as you arrive to the hotel.”

Then the limousine they both were in, arrived to Heihachi’s hotel. The chauffeur opened the door and Heihachi told Lee, who was looking at him, waiting for his new father to get out from the car first:

“Get out. My assistant will take care of you. I’ll be back in the evening.”

“Huh… Okay… Xièxiè…” said Lee as he slightly bowed to his new father while getting out of the limousine.

He knew Heihachi had things to do but he didn’t think his new adoptive father would go away that soon and he felt slightly lost… even somehow abandoned… Everything happened so fast… First after his fight, that strangely combed man appeared and asked him to come over. Then once near, the man grabbed him, forcefully brought him inside that restaurant where he almost threw him on a chair while offering him a meal, then leaving him no time to eat that meal, he took him to his limousine to go somewhere to adopt him, then took him to that hotel before he quickly left him and went away…

But Lee didn’t have time to feel lost or abandoned for long since once outside of the car, he saw a man looking really uptight who told him as he bowed to him:

“Welcome, young master.”

Lee looked at the man with big eyes. He never had been called master before… That was so impressive...


	2. Lee's excellent fairytale

Stunned by how the man just called him, Lee took some times to react. But he had to be polite and show some manners so to show his politeness, he bowed as much as the man and said:

“Huh… Xièxiè…”

The man replied: “You do not have to bow as low as me, young master. You are the master. Bowing shows my reverence to you and your social rank.”

Lee couldn’t help looking impressed once more. My social rank? Wow! Yet he also remembered once more how he was dressed and his dirty clothes made him feel some embarrassment once more. He was not really part of that ‘social rank’…

“Huh… Okay… Sorry…”

“You do not have to be sorry either, I am only teaching you etiquette.”

“Huh… Okay…”

Lee thought he should shut up. Apart from ‘Huh… Okay’, he didn’t know what to reply and it didn’t look very intelligent… He really didn’t know what to say, he was both extremely happy and excited while also extremely nervous and embarrassed at the same time… He was still very confused…

The man then told him to follow him to the hotel where they went toward the elevator. Lee was really excited; he had never been in an elevator before. And the tiny place, like the rest of the hotel he saw, looked so elegant! With mirrors and all shiny… But trying to not look like an excited kid and trying to have some dignity, he kept his excitement inside. Beside the mirrors also showed once again his ugly and dirty clothes and Lee slightly felt out of place once more… But still, it was fun to take the elevator… Once the elevator arrived to whatever floor they now were, (probably high since it took a while to get to it, thought Lee) the door opened and the man began walking in the gallery while Lee quickly followed him. Once more seeing the chandelier, the decorated walls and the luxurious carpet made Lee feel excitement but he told himself that it was stupid, those were only walls and floors so he shouldn’t get excited over this… as he probably shouldn’t get ashamed by his worn-out clothes… The man walked to a room and unlocked the door. He then showed the place to Lee as he stood aside.

“Your suite, young master.”

Young master… Lee blushed in embarrassment as he entered the place with the man. So this is my apartment? thought Lee who didn’t know the word suite but guessed it must mean apartment. A suite must mean a really luxurious and huge apartment since the place was looking like a palace or something… There was even a balcony at the far side of the grand salon…

“Here is the bathroom,” said the assistant as he showed Lee the door to the bathroom. Looking inside, Lee gasped once more. The place was huge! The bathroom alone was as huge as his old apartment with his parents… And all looked so shiny, so clean, so… luxurious once more…

The man then showed Lee some elegant suits, all hung on the bathroom wall: “There are five sets of clothes, all different in size. Mishima-Sama told us your age and approximately your size but still… So once you took your bath, please try those clothes and put on the suit fitting you. We shall then know which size you wear.”

“Huh… Okay. Xièxiè,” answered Lee who slightly cursed himself for once more answering on such a stupid shy tone.

The man then told him, “Put your dirty clothes in that basket. The bath is already prepared and ready for you. I shall be in the gallery, once you are done, just call me by ringing the bell.”

And politely bowing once more, he left before Lee could even get out of his stupor and bow as well to the man. Lee only bowed (once again too low) to the man once he was out of the bathroom.

Telling himself that he should not lose time admiring the place, Lee decided to take his bath. Beside his ugly and dirty clothes really didn’t fit in here… He was happy to get rid of them, for good.

The bath was almost like a pool, it was so big… Lee enjoyed the water for a moment but wanting to feel fresh and worthy of the place, he took the soap and began washing himself, then took the shampoo to wash his hair… Taking a bath was such a great sensation… Lee never took a bath in his whole life, he always washed himself with the sink and never felt the sensation of being in the water… They had no bath at home, no pool in the area, so he never could feel what it was like to be in the water… That man, his new father, Heihachi Mishima was giving him so many opportunities… Lee couldn’t help but feel overjoyed and moved by all of this… His eyes started to get wet and he began to silently cry, but in joy, a thing that he never did in his life before.

What was happening was probably real, not some kind of trap like he first feared when he saw Heihachi… That limousine… and now that ‘suite’… The place was too beautiful to serve as some slave traffic ring or whatever… The man called him ‘young master’, they wouldn’t do that to trap someone… He had seen some people who supposedly were child abductors and slavers and none of them looked like that… That Heihachi Mishima was probably a really nice person. Beside he had signed the adoption papers, he was okay… Yes, Heihachi Mishima was okay… He was taking him out of his misery, he was even more than okay… And he would be his new father… Lee really felt grateful and moved by what that man was doing for him… The young boy then continued taking his bath and once he finished, he got out and began to try the many elegant suits that were hanging. Once he found the right one, he looked at his reflection in the mirror with a quite pleased air… He didn’t know he could look so elegant… Taking many poses, gloating with pleasure, he gazed at his reflection for a long while, never stopping to smile until the assistant knocked on the bathroom door.

“Young master, are you okay? It has been a while. Do you need help?”

The knocking got Lee out of his wake dream and he answered:

“Huh… Yeah. Yes. I’m just… I have finished.”

Lee then opened the door as the assistant made a small relieved expression. He thought the young boy had drowned in the whirlpool bath or something…

“You look very nice” said the assistant as Lee replied:

“Xièxiè.”

Yet for a slight second, as the assistant was evaluating his clothes to see if everything was fine, Lee felt scrutinized and once more felt some distrust. What did that man, Heihachi Mishima, picked him for? Why find a poor boy that he has to teach everything, from language to manners, to become his son’s companion? Couldn’t he have found any other Japanese boy? But, if Heihachi wanted to do whatever bad things he would want to do to him, why invent a trap so elaborated? Heihachi Mishima was probably okay, Lee thought that he probably spent too much time worrying in the streets about the many dangers he could face, many of those he already faced somehow and he was still distrustful from those experiences. It probably was okay now…

The assistant had finished observing the suit and was now showing him some tie.

“I shall now put your tie. Clip ties exist but you also need to know how to put on a real one. Which one do you want? Red or blue?”

“… Blue.”

As the assistant was explaining how the tie must be done, Lee felt his stomach growl. He hoped the assistant didn’t hear but he realized he was beginning to be hungry again. With Heihachi taking him away so quickly from his meal at the restaurant in his eagerness to adopt him, he didn’t have time to eat as he needed to… Yet could he eat now? Was there some hours for this? He didn’t want to destroy any protocol or whatever…

Not saying anything about the growling stomach, the assistant told him: “You now have half an hour of free time before your Japanese teacher come. You can either look at the scenery from the balcony or play some pinball machine or watch television…”

“What? Already Japanese course today?” exclaimed Lee even if he didn’t want to make any trouble or sound recalcitrant. But Heihachi just adopted him and everything was already organized? The assistant replied:

“We do not have any time to lose. You have to be fluent in Japanese once you meet young master Kazuya.”

“Okay.”

It somehow made sense. And at least he dropped the ‘huh…’ this time…

The assistant then added:

“Starting next week, all the personnel will have to speak only Japanese to you, no one will repeat in Chinese, so you must learn quickly as much as you can to be able to understand us.”

“Huh… Okay…”

And what will happen if I can’t? worriedly wondered Lee who didn’t know if learning Japanese was easy or not… But he was the best of his class when he went to school, so he probably would do fine… Maybe… He never learned another language… He was good at school but the subjects he had begun to learn were not the same as learning languages… And he probably would also have to learn to write Japanese and he didn’t even know much of the Chinese written language, from which he knew much of the Japanese written language have been taking from… After all, he quit school when his parents died when he was eight years old… For three years, he mostly learned street skills… Fighting… Finding food… Hiding… Even stealing… In the language area, he may have learned some bad words that some bums and drunkards would sometimes say… But he never said those dirty words, his mother didn’t raise him to speak like this… She already wouldn’t be proud that he now fought or stole almost each day but he was forced to do it, she probably would understand but he wasn’t forced to speak vulgarly…

The assistant then told him: “Do you wish for something to eat right now? Some cookies? Some juice? Milk?

Lee was relieved; he didn’t have to ask anything since the assistant was now offering it to him… He probably heard his stomach sooner…

“Hum, yes, please, cookies and milk… Xièxiè.”

As he waited for the cookies and milk, sitting on the luxurious sofa, Lee still couldn’t believe what just happened. Some hours ago, he was still rummaging through dumpsters to find food and now he was here, at a luxurious hotel, dressed like a businessman and waiting to be served cookies… It could not be true… Yet it seemed it was… Or, maybe he fell down during the fight and was actually unconscious? Maybe he hit his head falling from the dumpster and was dreaming all of this? Or the metal bar kid succeeded in hitting his head? Yet it seemed real… without seeming real. It probably was real… He would probably feel differently if he was dreaming… It probably was only the quickness of all those events and he still had to assimilate them… He would probably feel less strange tomorrow… Maybe even in some hours…

After his snack and Japanese lessons, Lee was ordered to go to bed. He would have wanted to see his new father again, to somehow tell him how grateful he was, even if he didn’t know if he would now be too shy to address him, but the assistant told him that Heihachi would come back very late since he had many appointments tonight. So Lee went to bed as ordered. Beside the bed was so comfortable that, putting all distrust, worries or questioning aside, he fell asleep in ten minutes.

* * *

Later that night, Heihachi came back and asked his assistant:

“So, the kid did not give you too much trouble?”

Bowing reverently to his master, the assistant replied:

“Not at all, Mishima-Sama. He was very polite despite his lack of knowledge about etiquette and he did have some natural class in his bearing despite coming from a poor area. He knew how to behave with dignity and was eager to learn his lessons. I think you choose a very fine candidate to keep company to the young master Kazuya. His quiet attitude may calm the young master and give him a very nice friend.”

“It’s not really for this that I choose him but I’m glad he behaved well.”

The assistant wondered why had Heihachi picked that boy from the slums if it wasn’t to keep company to Kazuya and calm that terrible child from his never ending revolt, every servant knew how destructive and uncontrollable was the young master, but said nothing.

* * *

The next morning, Lee woke up. He realized that he was in a comfortable bed with comfortable pillows and a warm blanket. Far more comfortable than sleeping behind a dumpster or any other hiding places with nights that could be particularly cold while sleeping in tee-shirt. Remembering what happened yesterday, he suddenly remembered the kind man who gave him that, who even adopted him, and he felt once more gratitude toward him as he put on a smile.

Not wanting to look lazy and disappoint that new father, he got up from the bed but then wondered what to do. He couldn’t get out of the room, what if he wasn’t allowed to? But to be caught sleeping would make him look like a lazy boy and he didn’t want to give a bad impression to that new father. So he got up and went to the balcony. There was one in the salon and one in the bedroom as well, Lee was really impressed. He didn’t have any balcony where he lived with his family in their third floor apartment. They only had a very small window for the whole place and his grandmother was always in front of it, with the fan on since she would feel weak when it was too hot. Those apartments were so hot, especially during summer… The only times she left the place were during windy days when she would go with him to the park to fly his kite… He missed her… She was so kind… She didn’t have much to offer him but just her kind gaze over him as she was watching him playing with his kite was making him feel joy… He knew she loved him very much… His beloved nainai (grandma)…

Thinking about his family while standing on the balcony, Lee suddenly missed them; his mother, his father, his paternal grandmother… even his paternal aunt whom he didn’t know very much but still… And they were all dead now… because of that fire… All the screams he heard that night… when the building was on fire… All those people trapped in it… Quickly waking him, his parents had grabbed him and ordered him to get out of by the window since he was the only one small enough to get out by that hole. He didn’t want to leave them but his mother told him they would join him soon by the stairs and that he had to jump for them to quickly take the stairs. So he jumped. Luckily, there was a roof on the first floor, so he somehow only landed from two floors high and then fell from the roof into the street, hurting his shoulder in the process but he was still alive. Yet his family never joined him… For hours, unable to go inside the building with the terrible fire raging and the firemen keeping people away, he waited with many others, who mostly were crying and in complete panic until he saw the firemen take out some people when they had finally taken care of the fire. All dead people. And among them, his parents, aunt and grandmother… Not able to stand the sight, Lee ran away, crying, and lost himself in the many backstreets of the area. He cried there for hours… For days… For months, he didn’t come back to the place his apartment was located, he just couldn’t… When he came back, the place was completely destroyed, there was nothing anymore.

As Lee felt bad remembering this, the wind suddenly began to blow softly, almost like a caress, and the young boy felt like if his parents were still here and telling him to not cry anymore… They were there in the wind, flying with the kites forever… Feeling some kind of sudden peace, he lifted his head. The sun was slightly appearing over the city, somehow promising a new day and a new life… From his 24th floor, he could see all the splendor of his native city in a way he never could before. From another point of view than the usual dirty backstreets, Shanghai was beautiful… Yes, he had to look at the future…

Suddenly a man opened the door to his chamber. It was the same servant as yesterday.

“You’re already awake? Good.”

“Huh… Yes. What must I do now?” asked Lee as he left the balcony to meet the man.

“Well, first, take off your pajamas and put on your clothes, said the man while putting some elegant suit on the bed. I’ll be outside, come out when you’re finished dressing up.”

So when the man got out, Lee quickly dressed himself then got out of the bedroom.

“Now follow me”, said the man and Lee followed him to a large and elegant dining room. His new adoptive father was sitting at the far side of the long table and Lee was both happy to see him while feeling also nervous and shy in front of him.

Noticing him and now making a gesture for him to come, Heihachi then told Lee in Japanese:

-Ah, Lee! You look good in that suit! Far better than with your dirty rags! Now come here, boy!

Lee had to take a moment to understand what his new father told him in Japanese but he didn’t take time to come toward him since he quickly understood the gesture Heihachi made. While trying to understand each word Heihachi said, Lee knew he would still not have the guts to tell his new father that he was called Chaolan, not Lee. He would have to tell him but, later… Once near his new father, as politeness requested, he bowed very reverently to him. Heihachi once more asked him in Japanese:

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Mishima-Sama,” answered the young boy in Japanese as he bowed once more, this time remembering from his yesterday lesson what those words meant.

“Didn’t your teacher teach you the word father? Otousama? You should call me like that now.” said Heihachi suddenly speaking in Chinese.

“Huh… Yes, he did… I just felt… not worthy enough… right now…” answered Lee, a little embarrassed to also answer in Chinese since he could not speak that much Japanese already and by the serious tone Heihachi had used.

“Not worthy enough? I won’t take an unworthy kid home with me… You want me to bring you back to the streets then?” asked Heihachi in Chinese once more in an even sterner tone.

“Huh, no! No! I… I am worthy! Otousama!” exclaimed Lee in a sudden panic.

Suddenly changing his attitude to a very cheerful and familiar one, Heihachi then began to slap Lee in the back while laughing and speaking once more in Japanese:

“Gahahaha! Good, that’s what I want to hear, my boy! Otousama, not Mishima-Sama! That’s for the rest of the world to call me like this! You’re my son now!”

Lee tried to process what his new father just told him in Japanese. Apparently, Heihachi wanted to be called father and told him he was his son… Lee wished he understood everything already but with what he understood and his new father’s cheerful attitude, at least he knew his father was happy, so he gave a shy smile to his adoptive father.

Heihachi slapped him in the back some more time while laughing and Lee almost got pushed on the table with the strength of the hits, despite Heihachi clearly not wanting to hurt him as he was laughing and looking at Lee with a cheerful gaze. Lee tried to keep his balance by grabbing the table as Heihachi added:

“The teacher told me you did well yesterday! That’s good! You seem like a good learner! I’m proud of you, my boy!”

Lee understood that sentence and smiled again as his new father was complimenting him while giving him some more slaps in the back. He was glad to make his new father proud even if the slaps were a little rough to take.

“Sumi… Huh, Arigato”, said Lee who almost mixed the words ‘I am sorry’ with the words ‘thank you’ with his nervousness.

Heihachi then got up from his chair and as he passed beside Lee, he slid his hand on Lee’s head, tousling his hair in some kind of affective gesture.

“Now go eat your breakfast, boy. I must go.”

Again, already? thought the young boy. Yet it probably made sense since Heihachi had a business… Beside, Lee knew he didn’t have much time either since soon after his breakfast, the Japanese teacher would come to teach him. He would then learn more words to feel less nervous in front of his new father. Lee was eager to know more and be able to speak the language as soon as possible. He was nervous with Heihachi but his new father was in fact a very cheerful man. Lee wanted to please him next time by showing him how much he learned… So he ate then went to his course.

The course lasted for hours since it was very intensive and Lee once again went to bed without seeing his new foster father. But as he thought yesterday, the distrustful feeling was gone, he didn’t feel so out of place anymore and he did begin to feel like this would be his new life… With that kind father, Heihachi Mishima… His parents may be gone in the wind but they put him in good hands now…

* * *

During all his remaining time in China, Lee didn’t see Heihachi quite often since his new father was busy with his business but Lee was also quite busy with his extensive Japanese lessons. He had to be able to speak with that brother he was now eager to meet... Yet each time Lee could see Heihachi, he gazed at him with much love, respect and gratitude. That cheerful man had taken him out of the streets and would give him a new family... A rich family, he would never lack anything anymore, never starve anymore...

Also learning etiquette, Lee was now also welcoming his father in the most polite way when the latter came back from his business trips around China. Lee was trying to please his father and never dared disobey him. One day, as Lee was quietly reading his lessons, Heihachi told him:

“You’re awfully quiet for a kid. My own son keeps cursing and destroying everything he touches. A real little devil brat!”

Lee shyly looked at Heihachi and said nothing. But he wondered: Since Heihachi took him in, the few times he talked about Kazuya, it seemed he only had bad words for his own son... Either the son was a really misdemeanant brat or Heihachi was a very severe father... Lee had not seen Heihachi for very long periods of time since his new father was always gone, so maybe he didn’t know that side of his new father... Lee didn’t want to anger or disappoint Heihachi, so he didn’t dare do anything if not given permission, not talk, not move... He also wondered how that adoptive brother of his would welcome him... If he was that bad, maybe he wouldn’t be happy to see him, but maybe a friend would calm him down... Maybe Kazuya felt lonely and unappreciated...


	3. Disappointment

Then came the day Lee went to Japan...

In the early morning, Heihachi’s private jet landed at the Tokyo Haneda Airport. Heihachi then took Lee to another luxurious limousine and they continued their way toward the Mishima mansion for some hours. Lee gazed by the window, looking at the Japanese landscape while Heihachi seemed busy with business papers and calls. The landscape didn’t look like the one in China, well, not like Shanghai at least since Lee had never even left his native city. It was beautiful with all those trees with flowers in it... Lee was quite excited but still trying to please his new father, he stood quietly while only smiling a little. He had to have dignity now... After travelling for a while in the Japanese countryside, they arrived to the Mishima domain, the limousine still rolled for at least ten minutes before it reached a giant Japanese style mansion where the chauffeur stopped and went to open the door to his master and his new adoptive son.

As soon as they entered the mansion, Heihachi asked a servant to bring his son. Kazuya came before them not long after. Lee first noticed his large eyebrows then noticed how those were frowning. Kazuya didn’t seem too friendly, gazing at his father with hate while completely ignoring Lee. Heihachi then smiled and showed Lee while saying:

"Kazuya, this is your new brother, Lee."

Lee quickly bowed politely while saluting his older brother, using the Japanese he learned:

"Konichiwa, Kazuya, Oniisan…"

Still keeping his grumpy air, Kazuya now also looked confused. Why would his father give him a brother? He asked with some suspicions:

"What’s that thing?"

Lee wondered: Is he referring to me as a thing or to the whole situation? But whatever it was, Lee thought that Kazuya didn’t seem happy of his presence...

Heihachi made a somehow wicked smile and Kazuya frowned even more.

"Why, it’s your little brother! Your new friend! I found him in the streets of Shanghai, he was homeless. I thought it would be a good thing to bring him here. Aren’t you happy to not be alone anymore?"

Kazuya looked at his father with suspicion: That attempt was probably a trap to make him feel affection for that ‘new brother’ then once he would really like his ‘new brother’, Heihachi would kill him like he did for his mother and probably his grandfather... Meanwhile, Lee was wondering: Why was Kazuya so angry? And why was Heihachi having that cruel smile now? There definitively was something bad going on here... The place didn’t seem too harmonious... Heihachi laughed and continued:

"Oh, Don’t thank me too loud, son. But just so you have some fun together, we’ll organize a contest today. You’ll both have to fight to eat. The loser will get no dinner and no supper. It’s just a little lesson that Lee will try to teach you, Kazuya. Coming from the streets, he knows that everyone have to work to earn something. You’ll have to learn that wealth comes to those who deserve it. So your meals for today shall have to be fought for."

So, it wasn’t what he thought but still another twisted idea from his evil father, thought Kazuya, who was not showing the same surprise as Lee suddenly was. His father already did so many things to him, beating him, killing his loved ones... Trying to kill him by throwing him off a cliff... He would have been surprised if it had been something nice...

Lee didn’t say a thing but he was deeply surprised by Heihachi’s words. The man seemed so kind at first... and he now wanted his sons to fight together... But it did explain why he was pleased to see him fight... Lee didn’t fear a fight, he thought that he was probably better in a brawl than Kazuya since he had experience while the rich kid probably had a lazy life, not to mention he seemed quite frail... It was Kazuya who would pay the price and who would probably hate him... It was not a really good way to get acquainted... Lee was slightly embarrassed for putting his new brother in trouble but his new father was now offering him a chance to live in a rich mansion, with food if he won today and probably all the other days would be fine... He had starved for too long to refuse that gift... Heihachi apparently wanted to teach a lesson to his spoiled son so Lee thought he would just have to not be too hard on the rich kid...

Heihachi asked them:

"You both understood? Kazuya? Lee?"

Kazuya didn’t answer anything, he just stood there, impassive. But his gaze showed how angry he was at his father so Heihachi knew he understood.

"Yes, Mishima-sama", answered Lee while his new father looked at him, not wanting to provoke his new brother by being already too familiar. Despite being told he had to call Heihachi, Otousama, Lee still felt uncomfortable in China calling him Otousama, so he called him sometimes Otousama and sometimes Mishima-sama since we still wasn’t sure how much he could be familiar.

"Call me Otousama as you did in China, my boy", said Heihachi with a smile, a smile who looked warm toward him but quite wicked again as he gazed at his son Kazuya who didn’t speak but had a very visible anger.

Lee hesitated: That man not only wanted to teach a lesson to his son, he also was visibly trying to upset him... If he called Heihachi, Otousama, already in front of Kazuya, he would certainly give a nasty blow to the rich kid’s pride... But again... Heihachi was asking him to call him like that now... He had to please his new father... If he wanted to keep what he just gained, he had to please the one providing it. He didn’t want to live in the streets anymore, he was tired of begging, of starving, of dirty dumpsters... That rich boy would lose only a meal today... In fact two but he wouldn’t die... With the way Kazuya welcomed him, he thought that he probably already hated him whatever he did... Maybe he really was the little pest Heihachi told him he was, maybe he deserved it... Maybe it was a way to make him become more compassionate or something... And on an opportunistic note, maybe his adoptive father would love him more... Lee was tired of having no one caring for him... If he could get the approbation of that man, who took him under his wing, even if he now had to fight for it, he would be quite happy... Heihachi never spoke in a mean way to him... He always told him how much more quieter, studious or obedient he was compared to Kazuya... So Lee gazed at Heihachi and said:

"Yes, Otousama."

Heihachi smiled at Lee, again a smile not as wicked as those Lee saw him give to Kazuya, then said:

"Now boys, I have things to do, go play outside together. The contest will be held later."

Once more noticing the silent anger in Kazuya’s eyes, Lee wondered if Kazuya would try to beat him already outside. But the Chinese boy still didn’t fear him, he fought so often, he was sure he could beat that rich frail kid without any difficulties. He only didn’t like the bad atmosphere that could exist between the two. Maybe he shouldn’t have called Heihachi, Otousama but then again, he was now... Heihachi was now his father and Kazuya had to accept it...

Without a word, still keeping his grumpy air, Kazuya went outside and Lee quickly followed him. Once they were alone in the luxurious Mishima garden near some small lake, Lee told Kazuya, who had not deign face him as he kept walking on a fast pace:

"Kazuya-san, I don’t want to deprive you of your meals today. But I need to eat too... and I didn’t know your father, our father, would say that... Look, if we fight and I win, I’ll give you some of my food. We could share..."

Kazuya turned around, visibly enraged:

"I don’t need your charity! The food is mine! Everything here is mine! And you’re speaking of sharing? Sharing my things? You’re the stray dog! You’re the beggar! The thief who should have stayed in the streets! I deserve my food! I deserve everything!"

Lee was hurt: Kazuya definitively hated him now. It was not a too good start as a family... But that rich spoiled brat definitively needed a lesson in sharing...

"Maybe your father didn’t think you needed all that. He saw some potential in me and decided that I deserved some of it. Just some of it. You’re still the elder."

"I’m the elder and the only one! You didn’t deserve anything and he knew it! He just wants to take it all away from me!"

"You’re being selfish. Beside, he said we had to fight for it. You’re so sure you would lose? You’re so scared of me?" answered Lee who thought he would pin the frail boy down and then try to reason with him. Kazuya will have to listen then...

"I am not. I’ll show you!"

And Kazuya jumped on Lee who swiftly retaliated by kicking him in the stomach, making him fall on his back. Lee then tried to pin him down to not hurt him too much. But before he could pin Kazuya, the dark haired boy quickly put his foot above him, grabbed Lee who was coming to pin him and with the help of his leg, knocked Lee over. The silver haired boy brutally fell on his back. Before Lee could even get up, the enraged kid was already over him, looking at him with such a resentful fury that Lee got slightly scared. Then Kazuya began to frenetically punch his face. After a while of struggling, Lee freed himself from Kazuya’s fist fury by grabbing his hands but the furious boy then head-butted him on his face.

As he tried to push back his adversary, Lee thought that Kazuya was far better than he would have expected from a rich frail boy. Kazuya was so enraged, he seemed almost possessed... But Lee succeeded to turn over, forcing the smaller, even if slightly older, Kazuya under him. But he couldn’t keep him pinned down, Kazuya was fighting back so violently and seemed so furious... Despite first trying not to hurt the frailty boy, Lee decided that he had to use his full force now. He punched back Kazuya on the jaw before he grabbed his hair and banged his head on the ground then quickly got up and backed away. Kazuya got up and launched himself at Lee once more while screaming but Lee punched him in the stomach while quickly following with an uppercut. Kazuya tumbled away before he charged once more, grabbing Lee who also grabbed him and they began struggling to push the other down, while also trying to kick each other. As they brawled, Lee said:

"Alright! We should stop fighting! I wanted to get along with you, not hurt you! I used the wrong way I guess... I’m sorry."

Kazuya looked at him, lost some of his fury and on a silent common agreement, they both released each other and backed away. Panting, Lee looked at Kazuya who seemed to calm down a bit but Lee could now hear some sobs among Kazuya’s gasps for air. The boy really seemed emotionally disturbed... Was he so angry of sharing his things with him? No, there was more... His father seemed really mean with him... but was he mean because Kazuya was really selfish so his father had to use the hard way with him? After a while, now taking support on a tree trunk, Kazuya seemed to have calmed down, enough to be able to speak. Then speaking of a completely different subject, Kazuya asked Lee on a slightly hard tone:

"Why do you have silver hair?"

"Huh? Huh... I don’t know. My parent first thought it was albinism but it’s supposedly not and they never could make me pass medical tests to know why."

Lee then added on a slightly proud tone:

"But it gave me the nickname silver-haired demon in the streets of Shanghai."

Kazuya suddenly seemed interested and asked on a more curious tone:

"Demon? Why?"

"... Probably because I’m tough. You’re tough as well. You’re probably the toughest adversary I have ever met! You did scare me a bit..."

"Hum. So you’re not a real demon?"

"No."

And Kazuya said nothing more. After a while, he said:

"You’re tough."

"Arigato. So... we’re friends?" answered Lee as he held out his hand in a friendly gesture.

Kazuya looked at Lee’s hand and didn’t answer already. But Lee noticed that his new older brother now didn’t seem hostile anymore. Looking slightly troubled, Kazuya then answered a mumbled:

"Maybe."

Lee smiled at Kazuya before he said, while looking at the beautiful huge gardens, trying to make some conversation and not really knowing how:

"You really have a nice place..."

Kazuya said nothing but still wondered about the reasons of that boy’s presence... Was he really adopted or was his father playing a cruel prank on both of them? One or the other, it was probably bad... And that ‘nice place’ was his... not that boy’s... Heihachi really wanted to take everything from him... Yet it wasn’t that boy’s fault... He finally answered:

"Yes, it’s nice. It also very big. I can make you visit but I don’t go too far since we can get attacked by Kuma near the woods."

"Kuma? What’s that?"

Not already knowing this Japanese word that meant bear, Lee thought that since Kazuya spoke about demons sooner, it may be some ancient Japanese legendary demons or something... Haunting the woods... But Kazuya replied:

"My father’s stupid pet. In fact, he’s not stupid, he’s very intelligent, so he’s even more dangerous."

"A pet? What kind of pet?" asked Lee who wondered what pet could be so dangerous.

"Like a panda...?"

Lee knew how xiongmao (pandas (xiong=bear, mao=cat)) were called in English and Japanese (both panda) since those animals were somehow symbols of his country, so he understood and then realized Kazuya was talking about a bear.

"Ah! Xiong!"

"Huh. Probably that", answered Kazuya who didn’t know a single word of Chinese.

After Lee seemed to understand what kind of dangerous animal Kuma was, Kazuya added:

"He eats human flesh."

"What? ...You’re joking, right?"

"If you knew me, you’d know I never joke."

"Do you have many bears in your wood?"

"One is already too much. He even sometimes come inside and walks around the house at night."

Lee was both afraid and fascinated by the bear’s mention. He had never seen a bear in his life but if Kuma was a bloodthirsty killer, he’d rather not see one.

"Around the house?"

"Yes. Close your door when you sleep. And lock it."

"Lock it? What difference would it make?"

"Kuma is so intelligent, he could open the door if not locked. He could even take the keys and open locked doors himself if he had them."

"Now, you’re joking."

"...Not even. Kuma’s paws are probably the only reason he doesn’t use the keys to open doors."

Lee started to laugh.

"You’re funny!"

Kazuya gazed at Lee and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Not many people told him he was funny... In fact not many people even talked to him...

But the bear thing slightly scared Lee who asked after a while of looking at the many koi carps in the small lake, if they could go back to the house. Kuma probably wasn’t walking around the house, maybe never ate human flesh either, it probably was all false stories, but he probably existed and a bear was a bear...

When he saw them coming back, with bruises and everything, Heihachi asked them:

"You already fought? Who won?"

Lee was surprised by the sudden question while Kazuya didn’t say a word, crossing his arms and sulking once more as he saw his father.

"You lost, Kazuya?" asked Heihachi, taking his sulking air as an air of defeat.

"No, he didn’t", said Lee. "It was a tie."

"Well, then finish it now. I want to see who wins."

Lee seemed embarrassed and thought that the lesson was over since they were now friends... No need to fight... But Kazuya glared at his father and coldly said:

"Fine."

He remembered how his father had brought that kid to annoy him and take away everything from him. He wouldn’t let it happen... His father wouldn’t win even if it meant beating that kid beside him to a pulp.

Since Kazuya was so quick to accept the fight and still fearing to disappoint his new father, Lee also prepared to fight again. And seeing Kazuya’s furious face now glaring at him, he wondered again if Kazuya didn’t like him. Or despite the fists directed at him, was that anger directed at his father? His attitude changed so fast when he saw Heihachi... But having seen how Kazuya could be ferocious in a fight, Lee thought he would really have to fight his best to gain his meals for today now...

They fought for a while and Lee ultimately lost. As the Chinese boy was still down, wiping the blood from his nose, Heihachi sternly told him:

"I thought you were better than that. I’m disappointed... I begin to wonder if I should have taken you in... Maybe I should send you back..."

"No! Please!" begged Lee who was very scared of being sent back in the streets of Shanghai. He had lived a comfortable life since he met Heihachi, he had slept in a nice bed, had complete meals, nice clothes... Even learned a new language... He didn’t want to go back to the dirty streets and eat rotten or stolen food again. Maybe Heihachi wouldn’t even make the effort of bringing him back in China and would leave him in the streets of Japan where he knew no one...

But as he looked toward his new adoptive father, he noticed that Kazuya, who was standing behind, was now looking at him with some pity. Only for a moment before he turned his head but Lee did notice it... So he really didn’t hate him after all... They were really beginning to be friends... But the young Japanese boy didn’t say a word as his father gravely said to his adopted brother:

"You won’t eat today and you may get a second chance to stay here, tomorrow. However if you turn out to be a disappointment, I’m getting rid of you."

Lee wanted to cry. He was really disappointed that his adoptive father, that the whole situation turned out to be that way... Heihachi had been so kind before but he now seemed as stern toward him as he was to his son. He lowered his head as his eyes were getting teary and let go a sob despite trying not to. Heihachi grimly added:

"Stop crying. I don’t like weaklings."

"Y-Yes... M-Mishima-sama…"

Lee didn’t dare say Otousama this time... Beside, he’ll probably be sent back in the streets... It was stupid to think he could have lived a rich life...

Heihachi then said:

"Now it’s time to eat."

Then gazing at Lee, he added:

"Or not eat. Go to your room, Lee."

Lee lifted his head while having a confused expression. He didn’t know where his room was... But a servant then came and showed him the way while Heihachi went away with his son following behind.

The bedroom was really big and the bed was awfully large as well. It also seemed very comfortable. The drawers where all black with sculpted animals on it and looked really expensive, the closet had doors with some Japanese painting on it, the whole room looked very luxurious like the whole mansion in fact, who looked like some Shogun palace or something... Classy, expensive but with some technological gadgets as well since Lee noticed that he had a phone near his door (which was really an intercom), he also had a computer under his desk, it seemed... He even had a bathroom... with a bath, shower and all... But Lee wasn’t excited seeing all that luxury right now. He was only thinking of how his new father scolded him, how he disappointed him and how he would leave this place soon to return to the streets. He sat on his bed and cried.

* * *

That evening as Lee was preparing to go to bed after no one came to see him for the whole day, someone knocked at his door. It was Kazuya. He was holding a small plate of food. He offered it to Lee while still speaking in that serious and hard manner he had since the start.

"As you said, we can share. I kept some of my supper for you."

And he offered the plate to his adoptive brother who gazed at it with some surprise and joy. He was hungry but he was used to it, so for one evening, it wasn’t that bad. He mostly feared Heihachi’s decision and being thrown away. Yet he was happy to eat now... Kazuya was not as mean as his father said... Lee shyly smiled to him and said:

"Arigato."

Suddenly hearing some steps coming toward the corridor, Kazuya quickly pushed the plate toward Lee.

"Take it quickly! The old fart will be angry if he noticed I gave you some and he’ll punish us both!"

And quickly shoving the plate to his new brother, Kazuya left. Hearing the steps coming even closer, Lee quickly closed the door and tried to find a place to hide the food. He had the feeling the person, who was probably Heihachi, was coming to his room. If Kazuya seemed to fear his father that much, he must be very scary and stern! Lee could already testify that Heihachi seemed darker than he looked at first... If he was caught with that plate, he would certainly be sent back to the streets! He quickly hid the plate into the closet when he heard someone knocking. As he guessed, it was Heihachi. Lee slightly bent as a sign of respect for his father as Heihachi entered. His father seemed less scary than he was last time and spoke on a normal tone:

"I came to tell you that you must not make it too easy for Kazuya, he has to fight as well... Did you lose because you did not want to humiliate him in front of me?"

In fact, fearing to disappoint Heihachi, Lee had really tried to win. Kazuya had won fair and square but Lee nodded as if he really gave some chance to his new brother, to not look like a loser himself in front of that fearsome father and be sent back to the streets. Heihachi replied:

"Well, don’t. He can take it."

Before Lee could react, Heihachi suddenly grabbed him in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles against his head while saying:

"I want to see a more ferocious fight tomorrow! I want you to fight with all your might or else...!"

After giving the noogie, Heihachi released the surprised Lee, who once more, hadn’t been fast enough to escape his father, and told him:

"You’re still being tested, remember that. You must deserve your place."

Lee bowed again.

"Yes, Otousama. I won’t give him any chance next time."

"Tomorrow morning you must be in the courtyard at 5:30 for the fight. Wait there for me, I’ll come soon. Oh, and lock your door tonight, Kuma, my beloved pet, doesn’t know you yet. He may take you for some intruder..."

Heihachi left and Lee replaced his tousled hair. So Kuma was truly real? He really had to lock his door... He was glad he had now a house to live in and all those things he would be able to have but he had a feeling that the ambiance would not be very peaceful around here... And a more ferocious fight tomorrow? Was their father really trying to pit them against one another? On what purpose? Sadistic pleasure? At least, Kazuya did show him that he liked him... They would have to keep being friends despite that competition that their father was forcing them into...


	4. Competition

The next morning, Lee went in the courtyard a little earlier, hoping to see Kazuya alone if possible. Luckily, Kazuya was indeed there while their father was not, so Lee went to him and discreetly showed Kazuya the plate from yesterday that he had hidden under his jacket.

"Hum... Where do I put the plate? I mean where is the kitchen?"

Seeing the plate, Kazuya widened his eyes for a second in fear. They will both get caught with it now...

"You didn’t bring it back already?" asked Kazuya using a tone like if he thought Lee was stupid.

"No. I don’t know where the kitchen is."

"Fine. I’ll show you", answered Kazuya on an annoyed tone before he quickly started to walk toward the house. They still had some time before the old man would arrive...

Once they arrived to the still empty kitchen, Kazuya coldly told Lee:

"Remember to wash it before you put it back. Don’t put it back all dirty. You may be used to eat in dirty plates but I’m not."

Lee was insulted:

"What do you think? That because I come from a poor family, I’m dirty? Of course, I’ll wash it. I rinsed it yesterday in my bathroom and I’ll really wash it now. I’m not filthy!"

But Kazuya was already gone. Why was he acting so nastily now? Weren’t they friends? So Lee quickly washed it, found the right cupboard with the other plates and quickly left the kitchen before the servants would come to prepare breakfast. He then quickly went outside where Kazuya and Heihachi already were. Heihachi was not wearing the business suit Lee always saw him with but some traditional Japanese pants and was bare-chested. His muscular body impressed the young boy who never thought Heihachi was that strongly built under his expensive suit. Noticing Lee, Heihachi looked at his watch and said:

"Almost late."

Lee wanted to reply; but not late, yet he was too scared of his adoptive father to do so and said nothing beside politely saluting him. Maybe he should have looked for the kitchen at night but he feared being caught wandering around by Kuma and thought that if he left the plate in his bedroom now, maybe some servants would come for some housework and find it. He had to get rid of it this morning. As he did, so everything was fine.

But Lee understood now why Heihachi wanted them to fight so much, both Heihachi and Kazuya were martial artists and trained each day. Which also explained Kazuya’s fighting skills... So it was not some sadistic pleasure... Some masters were really hard and really demanding on their students as he had heard... Heihachi was one of them... Lee had only discovered that side of his adoptive father today, believing him to be only a businessman...

After some warm up exercises, Heihachi then told them:

"I want you both to train hard. Determination, ruthlessness and having no mercy are all conditions to win in both the business world and martial arts world. If you both want to be successful, you’ll have to learn it."

He then addressed Lee:

"If you want to stay, you’ll have to win."

So after their training today, Lee and Kazuya had to fight once more. Lee was very anxious since Heihachi would throw him out should he lose. He had to win. He had to. Trying to push his fears aside, he tried to concentrate on the fight against Kazuya only. He told himself that there was no friendship now, Kazuya was just an adversary. Beside, Kazuya just insulted him with the plate thing, he would make him pay and show him his worth...

Meanwhile, Kazuya thought once more that he would not let his father win. Each time he would lose would be a pleasure for Heihachi and he would not give him such joy... That kid in front of him was just an obstacle. Beside, Heihachi proved he could be mean even with that kid, so it would probably be better for Lee if he left the place. It would be for both of them. So Lee and Kazuya fought fiercely, both trying to win for their own reasons but in the end, after a ferocious fight, only Lee remained standing. Lee had given his all and was quite satisfied with his victory since he had thought many times that he would lose, Kazuya was so brutal and ruthless... Heihachi smiled at him and cheerfully exclaimed as he clapped his hands:

"Good! Now you’ll have to fight my pet Kuma!"

"What?!" asked the bewildered Lee as he suddenly noticed the big bear wearing a colored scarf coming toward him. So that was the human flesh eating monster? He began to back away in fear. He had experienced so many surprises lately that he didn’t know if it was a joke or some ‘training’...

Painfully getting up and grabbing Lee’s arm, Kazuya muttered to him on a still annoyed tone:

"Don’t worry, the old fart is bluffing. You’ll have to get used to his dirty habits now..."

But despite reassuring Lee, Kazuya didn’t really trust the bear himself as he eyed him with wariness and fear as well. Heihachi had already tried to kill him by throwing him down that cliff, he may well order his damn bear to maul him to death one day... Kazuya really hated that bear. Not only Kuma could be dangerous and not only Heihachi always mistreated him, his own son, but his father also preferred that damn bear to him. Kuma was treated quite kindly by the old man who always looked after his needs, gave him food, dressed the stupid bear, even personally giving him healthcare if needed... Kuma was his baby... That monster Heihachi had killed his wife, maybe his own father, mistreated his son but was always pampering his damn bear... Kazuya hated the damn beast...

Seeing Lee’s scared reaction, Heihachi laughed and said:

"Hahaha! You won’t fight him, yet, maybe in some years... But as I told you yesterday, Kuma has to know you or he’ll think you’re an intruder. Come and show him your hand. Let him smell you."

After letting Kuma smell him, Lee was now trying to pet him as his adoptive father ordered him.

"See? He’s a kind bear! Kuma is very intelligent. He fights but he can also dance! Maybe he’ll show you one day. But for now..."

He addressed his bear:

"Kuma, this is Lee, my new adoptive son. Would you kindly welcome him and shake his hand?"

Kuma lifted his paw and went toward Lee’s hand, grunting in a not very aggressive way while patting it. Lee then hesitantly gave him his hand and Kuma did as if he shook hand with him.

Lee looked at the paws, he couldn’t really imagine a key being held by those large paws... Yet Lee thought that Kuma didn’t need a key for anything, his long claws seemed already really deadly, he could tear any door apart if he wished to... How could Heihachi hang around that bear without any fear? Lee thought that Kuma may be a kind bear and somehow was even cute but he still looked scary. So scary, that apparently, Kazuya had decided to discreetly flee since he wasn’t there anymore when Lee turned back.

* * *

Some days later, Heihachi organized once more a fight for the day’s meals.

He had noticed that since Lee didn’t have to fear for his place anymore and had nothing really to fight for but victory and pleasing his adoptive father, he had begun to lose some motivation in fighting. Of course, victory and pleasing his father were really important for Lee but as a martial art expert, Heihachi had the feeling that Lee wasn’t giving his all, unconsciously or not... Which in turn didn’t force Kazuya to use all his strength...

Heihachi thought he could bring back the threat of sending Lee back in the streets, adopted didn’t mean he had to keep him forever... With his influence, Heihachi could do as he wished of his children, no child service would dare investigate and despite not really wishing to, he could easily get rid of Lee, but used too often as a threat, it would not be very believable. He would just use it when it was really needed or only give some innuendo to give Lee some motivation. The food threat would be kind of real, so it would probably work better for pushing them both for a fight now.

Despite what he had told the boy, Lee was supposed to be a rival for Kazuya, not trying to be his friend. Well, as a priority. He didn’t mind them being friends, he just didn’t care as long as they fought together seriously. If any of them were to work for him one day, they also had to learn to push aside friendship and feelings when needed. If they were already presented as enemies, it just wouldn’t be a lesson. But again, it wasn’t that important, the important thing was for Kazuya to train so that he would be a challenge when the real fight with him would come one day and for that Lee had to be a challenge for his training now.

Beside it seemed Kazuya wasn’t trying to be friend with Lee and mostly remained distant now since Lee became officially his brother with that fight. In fact, now that Lee was staying, Kazuya was now considering him as willingly being part of his father’s plan to take away everything from him, so he decided to not have good relations with him. It just wouldn’t work. Beside Lee would never want to be friend if he knew about him...

"If you both want to eat today, you’ll still fight each other for your food. It seems to motivate you both to give your all when I bring that punishment on. We’ll do the same tomorrow. So you better not lose two days in a row... you’ll be quite hungry..."

As Heihachi expected, it pushed Lee to perform better and the silver-haired kid won over Kazuya.

But Heihachi was wrong, it wasn’t only the food that pushed Lee to perform, Lee feared not being appreciated since he was not really able to become friend with Kazuya as he still thought his father really took him in for (even if somehow Heihachi was pushing him to compete with Kazuya, which was strange... It probably was still just for training...) so at least he had to win the fight to please his father. Yet he also did want to win the first day, in case Kazuya refused to share now since he was so distant... Just to make sure he would eat at least one of those two days...

But after his victory, Lee remembered what Kazuya had done for him the first day and, later that evening, he went to see Kazuya in his bedroom with some food as his adoptive brother had done for him the first time.

"I am not one to accept charity", coldly refused his older brother.

"But you gave me your meal the other day", replied Lee, a little surprised by Kazuya’s refusal.

"Because I pitied you. And you are not a Mishima, as an ex-beggar you’re used to it."

Lee didn’t like the way Kazuya said it. Was it that Kazuya was too high ranking to accept it and he was not? So that was why Kazuya gave him his part but did not accept the one he gave him? It was kind of insulting...

"Am I not a Mishima by adoption?"

"Not a real Mishima. A real Mishima do not live on charity."

"It was not charity last time, we had agreed to share!"

"We did not. You only proposed something."

And Kazuya closed the door, leaving Lee insulted.

"I’m not a real Mishima... If they are to all be weird like this, I’d rather not be one. Maybe Kazuya really doesn’t like me after all... He’s a brat... I may have lived in the streets but I have my pride as well... Beside I never begged... Almost never..."

He sighed.

"They are confusing... Maybe I have to show both Kazuya and his father that I deserve to be a Mishima! Well, starve all you want Kazuya, tomorrow as well, I’ll take away all your meals! If that’s the way you want it... Then you’ll respect me..."

But the next day, Kazuya won. He didn’t want to starve another day and he didn’t share this time. Lee was angry of not having being able to prove he was worth something by having the upper hand over Kazuya. Despite what Lee had initially thought, they seemed to be mostly equals in fighting... Their relation began to become cold and slightly aggressive even if Heihachi didn’t do any more fights for the food...

* * *

"So you’re named Chaolan?" asked Kazuya to his new brother as they were waiting for their father to come for training time in the dojo.

"Yes. But since I came here, Otousama keeps calling me Lee, despite the fact that I told him it’s my family name. He said I didn’t tell him soon enough and he got used to Lee but I first was too shy to point the mistake…"

Lee added after a moment: "...He doesn’t seem to care that my real name is Chaolan."

Kazuya seemed amused.

"Humpf. Of course he doesn’t care how he calls you. Or he does but not for the reasons you think. He does care to remind you that you don’t have our illustrious family name. Not any stranger can deserve the Mishima name."

Lee was slightly insulted. Always the Mishima thing...

"But I’m not a stranger, he adopted me. I think the name should go with it. Or at least, my real first name…"

"To adopt in the eyes of Oyaji (old man) means to use and manipulate, that’s all. He doesn’t care what you want, he doesn’t love you, he just wants to annoy me with you. I told you already, he doesn’t give a damn about you, Lee", answered the black haired kid, insisting on the Lee while his adoptive brother slightly frowned in annoyance. Then Kazuya added:

"I’ll also keep calling you like this since you’re not a Mishima, you’re a Lee. And you’ll have to remember it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the Tekken games, when Heihachi calls Lee, he always calls him Lee and not Chaolan while friendly people like Wang calls him Chaolan, (even though Lars calls him Lee as well but, whatever, maybe because Lars comes from the west and always mistakes the family and given names order) and Kazuya calls him maggot, stupid or the family mutt but I guess he would say Lee if he had to call him a little more properly, so I thought there may be a reason.


	5. Secret

After seven weeks in Japan...

Lee missed his native China... He may have had no real place to live there but somehow it was his place... He knew some people... Not anyone really personally but some people who said hi to him when they saw him, like the lady working at the fish shop who sometimes gave him some fish, not much since it wasn’t her shop but she still did and even when she didn’t, she was at least kind to him... The old man at the train station was always cheerful with him... He never gave him anything but he always let him stay in the station when the weather was bad... He had to leave when it was another controller but that one was cheerful and never asked him embarrassing questions... Many kids were friendly as well... At least, he felt at home in his streets somehow...

Now that big giant mansion... So far from his country... He felt so alone... Heihachi definitely wasn’t the person Lee thought he initially was... He was always gone and when he was here, he didn’t seem to care about him, always telling him to go away... That he didn’t have time... except for training time of course, which was sacred... Go play with Kazuya, was always his answer the rest of the time... But Kazuya was mean... He was now almost always mean to him... Not just grumpy, haughty, scornful but also mean... Really considering Lee like some invader of his domain, Kazuya was always throwing him some insult or aggressive gestures, sometimes breaking his things... Now they didn’t need training to begin to battle against one another... The servants were very few and not very talkative either... Most feared that giant bear Kuma walking around the house and not many people agreed to work at the Mishima mansion for this reason, the few who accepted mostly remained locked in their quarters when not called... Lee also feared the bear and didn’t walk around the house too often either. Despite Heihachi telling him that Kuma was a kind bear, Lee wouldn’t take the chance to be with that bear alone...

And Lee didn’t often go outside, he didn’t have the permission, except for the gardens (which had Kuma again, so...) but couldn’t leave the property and explore the vicinities... He didn’t know where he was at all, he was in another country and knew no one, except Heihachi and Kazuya. He was feeling alone. Isolated in a country he didn’t even know.

Yet he wouldn’t want to be sent back to China, it would be perceived as a failure, for not having succeeded to make himself appreciated and he didn’t want to live in poverty anymore. When Heihachi sometimes threatened to send him back to China, he always quickly begged for him not to. Here he didn’t need to go look for food in dumpsters, had a comfortable place to sleep, nice clothes... But Heihachi didn’t like him... He really picked him only to be a companion for his son and his son hated him...

Today Lee had made a mistake and his father, angry because of it, grabbed him and spanked him. Still feeling alone and not appreciated, Lee began to cry and Heihachi became even angrier; he began to spank him again, saying he would stop only when Lee would stop being a weakling. It was now some kind of habit that his father had taken to spank him when he wanted to punish him since he said Lee was acting like a child.

Kazuya, who had discreetly assisted to the scene, said to Lee, once their father was gone:

"You should stop crying. You look indeed like a weakling. It’s been a while that I don’t cry for anything the old fart does to me... Crying doesn’t resolve anything."

Then Kazuya made a resolute expression before he said:

"Revenge does."

Lee noticed that Kazuya was in one of his kind moments. Kind moments meaning that Kazuya’s hate and wickedness was directed at someone other than him. Now it seemed to be against their father, but that hate toward Heihachi was permanent anyway. Lee sometimes pitied Kazuya. He knew that Kazuya had suffered far more at the hands of his father than him, who, apart from those moments like he just had, mostly experienced indifference from his adoptive father. But for some reason, Kazuya really was Heihachi’s target... Heihachi would often beat him... Yet Kazuya would always keep his proud and defiant air, he would not cry and beg like Lee was sometimes doing... Yet both attitudes enraged their father, being defiant or crying was always assured to land them some more hits... The best way was to take punishment with dignity and recognize their mistake but it was not always so easy... and Kazuya always refused to let go of his defiant air. Lee sometimes cried but he also could act like Heihachi wanted. Yet now he had failed to look dignified and had started to cry. Once his father went away, he began to weep once more, feeling really alone. He was still sitting on the floor where Heihachi had dropped him after the spanking when the Mishima boy told him on a authoritarian tone:

"Get up. Show him that he cannot destroy you."

Then looking outside by the window, Kazuya noticed that Heihachi was now with Kuma again.

"I hate that damn bear", muttered Kazuya who then looked at Lee before he added:

"You don’t like him either, don’t you?"

"Not really..."

"That monster is given more liberty than you and I, more attention, more love..." said Kazuya as he gazed on the ground with a resentful expression. Though he didn’t want attention or love from that hateful Heihachi who killed his mother, it was revolting to see the difference in treatment between him and the bear...

He gazed at Lee once more, but this time, he had an evil smile over his face. Lee recognized his adoptive brother’s usual lopsided grin, when Kazuya had malicious intents. Kazuya then said:

"Hey, what if we poisoned it?"

"What?"

"We could poison that damn bear and when Oyaji finds it... I want to be there to see his face..."

Kazuya seemed to enjoy the idea very much but Lee was horrified at the proposition.

"No."

"Why not?"

"That’s mean."

"And Oyaji is kind with us?"

"... The bear didn’t do anything..."

"But Oyaji will be harder to poison..." replied Kazuya who, in fact, didn’t really want to poison his father, he had to beat him himself, see him suffer as he enjoyed it, not kill him like a coward... but a bear was a bear, he didn’t care how Kuma would die...

"I didn’t mean that! I meant the bear is not evil, he didn’t do anything."

"They say he eats human flesh."

"Who, they? He has not eaten us."

"...Yet", finished Kazuya before he added:

"Everybody say that! Ask the servants. Ask Oyaji. He even says so himself! He’s proud of his man-eating stupid bear!"

After some seconds, Kazuya continued:

"I know where to find poison... But the bear hates me, he’ll feel my intentions. He seems to trust you, you would be able to approach him and give it to him."

"No. I don’t want to poison him."

Kazuya told him on a mocking tone:

"You’re still trying to please papa? Still being a suck-up?"

Lee didn’t like to be considered a suck-up by Kazuya. He feared being sent back to the streets, he didn’t want to displease his adoptive father, maybe he would even like that Heihachi gave him some compliments like he did at the beginning but he didn’t think of himself as a suck-up. Kazuya told him on a cruel tone:

"Oyaji doesn’t even care about you. You know that thing when a parent buys a dog to please the child? It’s pretty much the same. And he’s tired to take care of the dog."

Lee thought that Kazuya was now turning mean again... That friendship he first tried to create never existed...

"I’m not like a dog..."

"You are to Oyaji. He doesn’t care about you, he just wants to keep me entertained and exercising while taking the dog for a walk."

"I don’t think so. You’re just being mean..."

"Then why has he adopted you then?"

Lee made a taunting face and said:

"... Because you didn’t satisfy him enough? You know that thing when the son is a failure?"

Kazuya seemed really hit by that reply and took some second before he replied coldly:

"Shut up. You do have a big self-esteem if you think my father actually cares for you. He cares for no one. Not you, not me. Except his stupid bear. But I am a Mishima, he is proud of me... Not really proud but... He needs me to represent him, his own blood. But you... The blood of poor Chinese people he doesn’t even know... He doesn’t care if you lose or win. Your failure or success won’t shine back on the distinguished Mishima family."

"I don’t need your stupid opinion. I’m in the family as much as you now. When you attack me with words, it means you can’t beat me with your fists. It’s your last spiteful resort."

"If you wish me to beat you with my fists as well, I don’t see any inconvenient... You’ll lose in both way!"

And once more they brawled against one another.

* * *

Some days later, Heihachi went away on some business trip again. After politely wishing a good trip to his adoptive father, Lee went to his bedroom. But he found a bad surprise: All the pages from his favorite manga were ripped and scattered all over his bedroom. Angered, Lee then went to confront Kazuya in his room. He showed his ripped pages and Kazuya who was also reading a manga on his bed, outlined a smile.

"Why are you doing this? I did nothing to you! Because I didn’t help you with your cruel plan to kill Kuma?"

"No. Because you’re not my brother."

Yet Kazuya didn’t really know why he had done this. No, in fact, Kazuya knew why he had done this. It had been seven years today that his mother died... He was feeling sad and angry... What he didn’t really know was why he attacked Lee, maybe it was because he was angry at his father and Lee was easier to attack now... He maybe shouldn’t have done it but he didn’t know how to not be hateful or angry, when he felt another way, it was sadness for missing his beloved mother and grandfather and then that sadness turned once more into anger and hate toward the one who killed them, toward everyone else since he could not already kill the real guilty one... He didn’t know how to get out of that vicious circle and it enraged him even more, so he lashed out at everyone.

Of course, that Devil inside of him had something to do with it but he didn’t know how to get rid of it... Beside he hated less that Devil than his father, if that Devil could help him get revenge on Heihachi for everything, he was glad it was possessing him... It did already save him from that fall... Yet it also probably was what was making him do all those mean and cruel acts, it probably was what was making him hate on everyone... Yet he had reasons for hating his father... All the reasons in the world... Sometimes he regretted what he did to Lee but it somehow enraged him to have done it and made him do even more cruelties... because he was furious of not having total control of himself... If only his mother had been here to comfort him, she would calm him... He missed her... No, he should not think of her now...

Lee continued to speak in anger:

"I’m here since only seven weeks and I already understand why Otousama hates you! If you acted nicely, people would like you more!"

"And they would get killed. Everyone who liked me, died", answered Kazuya on a resentful tone.

Kazuya could not stop thinking about his beloved mother. He kept remembering how she loved him, how she was kind to him, contrarily to his father now. He still remembered her kind gaze and her smile... Her soft voice... Her sweet embrace... She was making him feel like he was her most precious treasure, she loved him very much and he now knew that she was also protecting him since his father only began to beat him after she died... after he killed her... Then all the bad things began...

And his grandfather... Once his mother was dead, Jinpachi, his grandfather, was the one who protected him from his father’s anger and beatings. Jinpachi, who despite being a kind person, could become really angry and elevate his voice to scold his son when he tried to hurt Kazuya. When Heihachi was beating him or scaring him, there was always Ojiisan (grandfather) Jinpachi to come and rescue him, to hold him in his arms and protect him... to calm him...

And now, there was no one... Ojiisan disappeared one day of that same year and Heihachi only said he died of old age. Maybe it was true but Kazuya always wondered. Since he had seen from his own eyes his father kill his mother... Well, not exactly, his mother went into the dojo where Heihachi was, Kazuya heard a fight between his parents and when he ran inside, his mother was dead at his father’s feet... And when he confronted his father, Heihachi didn’t deny doing it.

Now there was only anger in his heart... Hate and rejection of everything... He missed his mother and grandfather, only they could calm him... Only they loved him... Frowning even more than normally, Kazuya suddenly became emotional. Each time he thought about his mother and grandfather, he became emotional. But he could not control those emotions and he didn’t want to face them now. He’d rather look cruel and mean than sad and weak... He could not cry in front of his adoptive brother to whom he always told that crying was being weak... He then started to breathe heavily, trying to hold his sobs. Overtaken by pain, now getting too emotional in front of his little adoptive brother and wanting to hide it, Kazuya yelled:

"Go away!"

Seeing how Kazuya was now in some kind of distress since he apparently seemed to have lost people he loved, Lee pushed aside his anger and wanted to comfort him but didn’t know what to say. Who killed who? He assumed Kazuya was maybe talking about Heihachi who would have killed someone, maybe the reason they hated each other, but it couldn’t really be, no? Probably not... Or maybe Kuma, since he eats human flesh and Kazuya hated him... Or was it someone else? Was it some paranoid delusions or the truth since Heihachi had once told Lee that Kazuya may sometimes act in confusing or violent ways since he was mentally ill. Lee shyly asked:

"Hum... Are you... crying? Huh..."

There suddenly was a violent crashing sound behind Lee who quickly turned back in surprise. One vase on Kazuya’s bookcase had fallen down. Lee didn’t know if the vase was well placed before so he thought it must have fallen because it was misplaced, yet... it did fall quite violently... Lee suddenly felt chill down his spine... Kazuya, who now seemed really furious, screamed:

"GO AWAY! I HATE YOU! AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!"

Now feeling all the anger and hate Kazuya was exulting with his furious screech, Lee became scared. He didn’t want to remain here, he didn’t know how to calm his appalling brother, so he quickly fled. Kazuya seemed to have suffered a lot by the hands of his father and was probably mentally ill but he also had that horrible aura around him right now... Lee didn’t know what it was, nothing special was showing but it was really, horribly dark and evil... Even if he came to confront his brother, ready for a fight, Lee fled as fast as he could, trying to go back to his room, close the door and never open it again. As he went away, he heard another crash in Kazuya’s room. Another vase broken...

While fleeing in the big dark mansion with almost no servants, the big dead mansion, he fell upon Kuma who was strolling around the place, somehow blocking the way. Kuma stopped and looked at him. The bear didn’t seem aggressive, he was quite sleepy... It was late, the mansion was mostly dark and Lee didn’t feel reassured. Was Kuma the possible killer? Yet in fact, Lee was more scared now of Kazuya than of any possible killer... Somehow the bear he always feared before was now more reassuring, so he asked Kuma, who was now looking for a comfortable place to sleep:

"Hum... Kuma-san can you lead me to my room, please? It’s dark around here..."

He wondered if the bear would understand or would want to help him since he only seemed to like Heihachi. But the bear looked at him, seemed to let go of a sigh then growled:

"Grroarr Gurr…" (Fine. But I don’t understand why you’re lost now after weeks of living here...)

Then Kuma slowly went toward the area where Lee’s bedroom was. Once before the room, Lee thanked him and the bear grunted again before he slowly left. Lee thought that it really seemed like Kuma was speaking... It was strange... Yet less strange than what happened in Kazuya’s room...

Lee closed the door and wondered: What happened? Why did I got so scared? I don’t know... Why did that vase fall down so suddenly? Probably some small earthquake... and Kazuya probably threw his book on the other one that fell down when I left or earthquake again... But Kazuya is totally mentally crazy... or more? Why is Otousama almost never here? And Otousama... he didn’t... He did not kill...? Or... Kuma? The human flesh-eating monster... Yet he didn’t look like a human-eating monster now... He seemed almost human... This place is strange...

* * *

The next day, Lee and Kazuya were eating together, just the two of them. As Lee noticed that Kazuya seemed somehow calm today, he decided to question him. There were a lot of things he still wondered about that house, that family, Kazuya, their father...

"Huh... Kazuya... If... you have some... problems or something, you can tell me..." shyly said Lee.

Kazuya stopped eating and stared at him.

"You talk like if you want to help me but your sole presence doesn’t help me. You’re an obstacle to everything. ...Taking away half of my wealth and possessions. You are not of any help for me. I wish you never came here."

Lee ignored the casual insults and insisted:

"But what do you meant when you said yesterday... They would get killed? You mean... Kuma would...? Or Otousama...? Or someone else? ... And, who was killed?"

"You don’t have to know. It’s none of your business", sharply answered Kazuya, fearing to become emotional again.

"Huh... But... Is... huh... is Otousama a killer?"

Before Lee’s insistence, Kazuya wondered for a while if he should tell him or not. If he revealed his father’s secret, Heihachi will beat him and will also reveal his Devil secret... maybe... Somehow Heihachi may not want to since it’s related somehow to the family honor and it would be a shame to have an abnormal son, that was why he never revealed it to anyone and kept him locked in that mansion... but he certainly will be beaten, maybe to death this time... But then... why protect him? Why protect Heihachi’s honor?

"Yes. He is. So you better flee as far as you can. He’ll kill you one of those days. I told you he doesn’t care about you", answered the older boy on an insensitive tone, trying not to go too deep into his emotions.

But now with the tone used, Lee didn’t believe his adoptive brother was telling the truth. Kazuya was still trying to get rid of him. Was his whole crisis yesterday a scheme to scare him? Kazuya was still acting like a spoiled brat over his possessions and throwing tantrums?

"You’re trying to scare me? You’d do anything to get rid of me, right? Even telling stupid stories! So no one was killed? You invented all this?"

"You’ll be killed if you continue bothering me", answered Kazuya on an annoyed tone before he continued:

"You asked the questions. Believe what you wish, I don’t care."

"As if you scare me..." answered Lee on a scornful tone. He regretted having been too impressed by this lying spoiled brat yesterday... Maybe he sometimes was too naïve...

* * *

Some days later, Heihachi came back from his business trip. Lee went to politely welcome him back, as he always did but Kazuya was nowhere in sight (as he often did as well). Thinking of what Kazuya had told him about someone killing someone, Lee wondered if he should subtly ask Heihachi. He didn’t know who could have been killed, if it was a sibling or a cousin or whatever, he didn’t even really think it was real but he knew someone was clearly missing from the family, the mother, and he was now really curious about it.

"Otousama... I wondered... Since I am now part of the family, is... can...can I learn about the family?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your wife. My, I don’t know if she is considered my mother... Where is she? Is she dead? I’m sorry if it’s uncalled-for. I just wondered."

Heihachi looked troubled: Why was Lee asking such questions now? Did Kazuya spoke about something? It had been her death anniversary some days ago... For a slight second, an expression of sadness washed over his face but was quickly followed by his usual stern air.

"She died. Long ago. She was very sick. Your only family is me and Kazuya."

Having observed his father for any reaction with much attention, Lee caught the sadness part and decided that she was loved by him, so she probably had not been killed and she died of illness as his father told him. Someone else had been killed or Kazuya was either lying or mentally ill... In fact, Lee mostly didn’t believe Kazuya.

Yet that evening, Kazuya got beaten by his father once more... and never spoke about the murders again. Yet he would never forget...


	6. Departure

Mishima Polytechnical High School...

It was their first day at school in the Junior High School section. Thirteen year old Kazuya and twelve year old Lee got out of the limousine and stared at the school. Lee marveled at the style of the school that had just been recently built and looked really excited to go while Kazuya hid his feelings under his usual grumpy air. The grumpy boy only said: “Eww...” as he noticed the giant golden statue of his hated father in front of the school. Heihachi was the one who had founded the place as a part of the Mishima Zaibatsu conglomerate, so he made sure everybody would know it.

Kazuya had never been to any school before. For all his life, he had been homeschooled. Heihachi, not really trusting his devil child to behave well with other children and not wanting to expose his true nature to the world, had preferred hiding him as much as he could from society. Now it was his school, the Mishima High School, so he had control over it, over what would be said and, if anything bad should happen, he could silence them. And since Kazuya had not killed Lee during the few months they lived together, despite even the competition they were pushed in and many bickering, maybe he could interact with other children. Maybe it could even do him some good... Though Heihachi doubted it very much. Yet a small part of him hoped it would...

Still hiding it, Kazuya was feeling confused and scared: There were so much people... He knew he should not feel that way, since somehow the solitude he had always felt all those years could now go away, he could talk to people if he wished and he may even maybe make friends. But his solitary attitude was also pushing him to send people away from him as he always did with Lee those times the Chinese boy tried to be friendly with him. Kazuya knew he was different, he was a monster, he was also more powerful than any of them and they were all stupid. So he didn’t really want to make friends. Yet it never stopped him from feeling lonely... Maybe he was telling himself that they were all worthless to not feel lonely once they would betray him or die... He didn’t really know or realize why he was always acting so rudely but he wouldn’t try to find out and once more hid under his tough guy armor as he went toward the school with his adoptive brother who was jumping in joy for going to school.

It had also been a long time since Lee went to school. When his parents were still alive some years ago, until he got eight years old, he was going to the small school of his impoverished area. Then he spent the next years in the streets, not going to school at all. He had then been homeschooled for some months when Heihachi adopted him, mostly to learn Japanese and to get some remedial teaching but now he was going to the real school, that colossal school and was wearing a stylish uniform. He was so excited!

"Excellent!"

Lee was now continually using that new word he learned on their private English lessons at home, he was good at learning languages and liked those courses very much. But Kazuya was quite annoyed by his little brother’s enthusiasm and was glad when the classes began: They both went in their respective classes since they were not in the same grade.

Later at recess, some kids went to see Lee who was playing balls with some others.

"So you’re Kazuya Mishima’s servant?" asked one of the kids.

"No. Not servant. Brother."

"But he told us you were his servant..."

Lee felt embarrassed and angry. Why was Kazuya telling them such a thing? Kazuya often told him how he was not a real Mishima but to present him as a servant was really insulting. Lee repeated them that he was no servant and stopped playing. He was too upset. He tried to find Kazuya on the school playground. After a while, he suddenly found him: Kazuya was just under the statue of the person he despised most, surrounded by many students. Lee pushed his way through the crowd and asked Kazuya on an angry tone:

"So you go around telling everybody I’m your servant?"

"Not everybody."

The devilish kid crossed his arms, made his usual lopsided grin and added:

"But news spread fast."

Lee then told everyone around:

"That’s not true! I’m his brother!"

Many students didn’t know if it was true or not, after all, Heihachi Mishima, who was known by many families in the area since so many were employed by him, only had one child... His wife was dead since long... Who was that kid? He wasn’t even named Mishima...

Despite Kazuya not adding anything more, only smiling wickedly, and Lee trying to convince everyone, at the end of the day, many still didn’t believe his claim and Lee went back home really upset while Kazuya enjoyed the influence he had over the other kids as the only child of their parents’ boss and school founder. School was fun... Still intimidated at first, Kazuya was not trying to speak to anyone but when many came to him and all seemed to revere him for being Heihachi Mishima’s son, he enjoyed the attention and decided to try to manipulate them, to see how much power he had over them...

* * *

Once at home, still upset, Lee went to see Heihachi who was training with Kuma:

"Otousama, Kazuya is telling everyone at school that I’m his servant!"

Heihachi laughed before he said:

"And what did you do when you were insulted or attacked on the streets of Beijing? You’re getting awfully soft now that you have a comfortable life."

"Shanghai."

"Whatever."

"But... you want me to beat Kazuya at school?"

"If he bullies or insults you, do like you would do to any other students. Don’t wait to be home to cry to papa..."

Lee had hoped Heihachi would clear the matter by showing up at school or something and treating him like a son in front of everyone but it seemed it still had to be settled with fists... Finally life over here was a lot like the streets of Shanghai, except with nice clothes...

* * *

The next day, Lee continued to claim that he was Heihachi Mishima’s son as well. He went to confront his adoptive brother:

"Kazuya! Don’t you dare pretend that I am not your brother!"

Kazuya was followed by his new cohort of bootlickers. He smiled when Lee addressed him on such a defiant way.

"Humpf."

"Must I force you to confess it?"

"A true Mishima would fight for his convictions."

Seeing his adoptive brother’s defiant air, Lee wondered: Was it what Kazuya wanted all along? Another fight?

"Fine! Then I’ll show you!"

And Lee jump kicked toward Kazuya who looked quite happy of the confrontation.

During the fight, both were fighting furiously, confronting each other with all their might but suddenly Lee had the upper hand: He began to repeatedly kick Kazuya, violently hitting his chest, his neck, his face... Breathing with some difficulties because of the throat hit, his nose bleeding, Kazuya backed away a little more to get out of Lee’s foot trajectory, trying to recover from the now dizziness he was beginning to feel, when one of his followers quickly moved forward and grabbed Lee from behind, immobilizing him in a grapple hold so that his leader could punch him. Kazuya quickly moved toward them and brutally hit his follower in the face with a punch.

"It’s a fight one on one! I don’t need cowards like you to help me!"

The boy let go of Lee and fell down. Angry by the disloyal attack, Kazuya punched and kicked the boy repeatedly until the boy, covering his now bloodied face and head, curled up and begged for him to stop while crying and asking for forgiveness. Overcome by a furious rage, Kazuya would have continued to hit him even when the boy now seemed unconscious but Lee grabbed him and said:

"Stop! You’ll kill him!"

Kazuya stopped, looked at Lee who was all bloodied and bruised from the brutal fight, then looked at all the students and said:

"I am Kazuya Mishima! The Mishima heir, the one and only son of Heihachi Mishima!"

He then added on a casual tone while showing Lee:

"He, is my adoptive brother."

Lee didn’t like the word adoptive, making him somehow lower, but technically, it was true. At least, he wasn’t presented as a servant anymore...

Then the school monitor finally came and they were all sent to the infirmary, Kazuya, Lee and the boy Kazuya had beaten up, Kazuya told Lee:

"You fought well."

Lee noticed that Kazuya had the same gaze as when he looked at him after the fight, before he presented him as his adoptive brother, some kind of approving gaze like if he seemed proud of Lee. But Lee just didn’t care anymore: Kazuya was so hard to understand... One day, he was bearable, almost friendly, the next, he would turn into such a devilish monster... Lee didn’t want to win Kazuya’s respect or friendship anymore, he just didn’t care. And with the painkillers the nurse just gave him, he just wanted to sleep...

Later Heihachi learned about what Kazuya did to the boy who was sent to the hospital du to the severe injuries, including a concussion, and he thought about punishing him but when he learned the full reason why Kazuya beat up that boy, he decided to not do anything. The boy deserved it.

Then school went on for both the brothers. Kazuya had his group of followers and was respected and feared by most of the school for being the founder’s son and a terrifying fighter while Lee, as the adoptive son of Heihachi Mishima and having shown his fighting prowess against Kazuya, had some respect as well. Since they now had the choice, they just didn’t hang out together, they both had different kind of friends and interests. Kazuya ruled over the bullies and the jocks, making some kind of order reign around the school while Lee hanged with the more artistic and intellectual students, among them many girls. In fact, Lee was becoming very popular with girls... and very interested as well...

* * *

"zzzzz…"

Sixteen year old Lee was sleeping in his bed. Still fully dressed up from last day, apart from his stylish vest and his shoes that were on the ground, Lee was resting from that crazy Friday evening where he had gone partying all night with his school friends. Suddenly, feeling a presence near him, he awoke. Kazuya was there, beside the bed, crossing his arms and staring at him with a stern face.

"Huh? Kazuya? What are you doing in my room?"

"Oyaji asked me to take you to the training. You’re supposed to be awake since an hour. At least. You partied again?"

"Huh? Yeah..."

Lee remembered how the evening was: He and his friends first went swimming, then when to eat at the restaurant, then play bowling, then dancing, then went to that exciting karaoke place, then dancing again and then that horror movie... then dancing again, with that beautiful Motoko... It was fun... Excellent...

"zzzzz…"

"Hey!"

Kazuya hit Lee in the ribs with a powerful punch which awoke the sleepy teenager who had fallen asleep again while thinking of his excellent evening.

"Ungh!"

"Next time, it will be your stupid smiling face. I really had to resist to not do it already. Wake up, it’s training time. Oyaji awaits us."

"... Oh yeah..."

Returning to reality, Lee thought: Not life with those two again...

"Give me five minutes. I’ll be there."

"Five minutes, not more."

Lee looked at the clock; 5:45. He was already late since fifteen minute for the training... Heihachi will probably spank him again...

"Oh drat..."

And not enthusiastically, once Kazuya left the room, Lee began to dress in his training outfit. He quickly washed his face with water since he didn’t have time to use his usual beauty care products (he had to at least take out that lipstick mark Motoko had left on his cheek, luckily Kazuya didn’t notice or he would have made some annoying remark...) and quickly combed his hair. He really wasn’t in shape for the training... He had partied until what? Two-Three o’clock? At least it was fun... He also quickly picked up his vest on the ground to at least put it somewhere less untidy and replaced his shoes where they belonged.

Five minutes later, Lee went out of his room, holding a rose. Kazuya was waiting for him, in case Lee had fallen asleep again and he would have to come and get him by force. Which he hoped would happen... Kazuya was now taller than Lee, he was far more muscular than he was before, so dragging the adoptive brother to the training ground was now easy. Assuming Lee let himself being dragged... but him resisting while being dragged would be fun as well. Yet Lee told him with some defiance:

"You thought I would take more than five minutes to prepare? But you were wrong. Here I am, as fresh as a rose..."

And while saying that Lee gracefully bowed.

"Humpf! You’re weird... So superficial..." answered his brother on a rude tone. He may be possessed by the Devil but his adoptive brother was an eccentric weirdo... Keeping roses and unicorn statues in his room...

Lee was sniffing his rose, hoping the sweet scent would awake him a little more because despite trying not to show it, he was completely tired. At least the rose would give him some feeling of freshness...

"Hummm... Yes. I am. And what is the problem with that?"

Being superficial was far better than being stuck in those family problems and quarrels... Life at home was still annoying... He could escape with that...

Lee didn’t want to involve himself too much with the two crazy Mishimas, his foster father and foster brother, Kazuya somehow respected him a bit better but as a fighter only, he kept repeating him that he was not a Mishima, that he was a weirdo and Heihachi had almost always that somehow demeaning attitude toward him while constantly being obsessed with training and fighting... Luckily, he had friends at school and extracurricular courses, like that interesting robotic course... He now always tried to keep some distance between himself and those two, who were quite harmful for his mental health or his dignity...

Once they arrived on the training ground, Heihachi, who wasn’t fooled by his adoptive son’s affected attitude in an attempt to try to hide his lack of sleep, remarked:

"You look like a mess! You look like you’ve already been beaten up."

Lee thought: If only that was the case, training lessons would be over, I could already go back to sleep...

After the training, Heihachi was really angry at Lee who really didn’t perform well, so he grabbed him and began to spank him.

"What was that? You call that training? I really don’t approve that you go out to party so often! You have to keep your discipline! Your training is the most important part of your life! You became a lazy no-good! I’ll take you out of the school if you can’t behave yourself!"

"No, please, Otousama! Don’t!"

All his childhood, Heihachi had threatened to throw him back in the streets, now his new threat was to take Lee out from school and leave him locked in that horrible mansion with only Kazuya and Heihachi to socialize with. Or Kuma, which wasn’t much better, okay maybe a little bit better.

Since they were going to school, both Lee and Kazuya had found some escape from their unbearable life in the Mishima mansion and their personalities had blossomed. By having his band of followers, Kazuya felt more self-assured, he had developed his leadership, or maybe tyrannical, side, and he also felt far less sadness for his missing mother and grandfather since he had other things to think about. Heihachi even noticed that his son became more obedient and serious since then, not necessarily more respectful though but at least, he matured. It seemed school had been good for him...

Lee had also developed his social side as well but also a more rebellious side. Not that much but since his father was really focused on discipline and all, Lee seemed to have lost some of it. Even though he had perfect grades and never made trouble in school (unlike Kazuya who sometimes bullied newcomers to see if they were worthy of him), he did party with his friends sometimes, not always but too often for his adoptive father’s taste. He had adopted Lee to be in competition with Kazuya, not to party all night... Heihachi then told his adoptive son:

"Then I expect you to come to the training ground tomorrow, one hour in advance! Even if I’m not there, you stay there, in the middle, standing straight on your two feet and you don’t move! The security cameras will tell me if you obeyed!"

Then giving one last powerful spank, Heihachi threw the teenager down on the ground. Kazuya had not left the training grounds and was smiling wickedly as his adoptive brother was being spanked. Lee was so weak... Despite some lack of discipline, he always did what his father asked of him, he always gave his father the respect a son should, unlike Kazuya who always called Heihachi, Oyaji and never Otousama, since he felt Heihachi didn’t deserve such a title and who never did anything a devoted son would do. Kazuya thought that Lee was docile, far too much... Kazuya would never allow Heihachi doing this to him...

In fact, somehow Heihachi and Kazuya were now getting along a bit better. They still often argued together but since school had helped to lower his revolt feelings, Kazuya had matured enough to know that petty sulkiness, insults, mindless destruction and evil pranks would do nothing for his revenge. He now decided to train until the time he would be able to kill the old man... And by learning with him, he would be able to see all his strengths and weaknesses...

Heihachi was slightly divided: Since his son was going to school, he was more obedient, more ‘likeable’, yet it didn’t mean the Devil was not possessing him anymore... Kazumi was sweet and kind all her life, until that horrible day... He knew he would still have to kill Kazuya one day... He could not become too close with him... Sometimes he told himself that he should have continued to treat him as a monster to not get too emotionally attached... To dehumanize him... But Kazuya was his son...

* * *

At twenty years old, Lee was sent in the U.S. to study business and take care of the Mishima Zaibatsu’s operations over there. Heihachi thought Lee really was good in the English language, he just had to perfect his pronunciation which would be by practicing with native English speakers in America. Since three years for Lee, four for Kazuya, they were working at the Mishima Zaibatsu part-time to learn the basics and Heihachi had now decided to give them more important positions despite their young age. Kazuya had an important position in the same building as Heihachi while Lee was sent to the U.S. Of course, Lee would be surrounded by trustworthy and experienced councilors who knew how it worked... As Lee was being driven to the airport by his brother, Kazuya told him:

"You see? You’re not a Mishima. Oyaji sends you away while he teaches me the family most secret martial arts moves. You don’t deserve to learn them."

Heihachi had indeed begun to train Kazuya with the secret family martial art, the Mishima Style Fighting Karate and never offered to do the same for Lee apart from the basic moves. A little tired of the same ‘not a Mishima’ thing, Lee replied:

"He sends me to learn more about the business and to take care of that business over there, so he thinks I’m deserving. Remember that we are both his successors, not just you, ‘mister’ Mishima. And maybe he even trusts me more since he holds you here to keep an eye on you... Once you learn to have some class and elegance, he may let you go..."

"Humpf! I’ll be happy when you are gone", replied Kazuya as he parked the car, waiting for his brother to get out.

"My feelings are reciprocal..."

"Fine. Never come back and we’ll both be happy..."

"Humpf!"

And making a condescending gesture as he left the sport car, Lee went to the private jet waiting for him. He somehow wondered about what Kazuya told him. He was indeed jealous that Kazuya was being showed those famous moves and not him, showing that indeed a real Mishima was considered better... But he also thought that he would go away from those two unbearable persons that were his adoptive father and brother. From that awful ambiance at home... He would go the U.S. to study in a renowned university, he would be free, near the beach, near the girls... and all those parties he would go to... While Kazuya and Heihachi would be at each other’s throat all day long... He sat in his seat comfortably and said with a satisfied smile:

"Excellent..."

But that little bit of jealousy still remained...


	7. Corruption

Lee was at his office in the U.S. Mishima Zaibatsu branch in the financial district of San Francisco. He had left Japan since two months and he was speaking on the phone with his father. Heihachi was not happy.

"Nonsense! He’s there since eighteen years! He won’t make me believe that he hasn’t found at least one clue about that treasure!"

"Well, he resigned after three years, as you know."

"Why did he resign? Did he tell you?"

"He said his search was going nowhere."

"But he was paid to give me results, not to quit at the first problem. We gave him a chance and asked him to come back, why has he refused?"

"By then he was married, had a baby and had no time to go on with that search. He said that his agenda wasn’t permitting him those long hours far from his wife and their newborn. He found a new job near them."

"Near them... He was searching in the reservation and they lived in the reservation. How much closer did he need to be?"

"Well, the Navajo reservation is big, sometimes he was away for days... Sometimes he went to other reservations... and his baby was often sick, so he had to drive her to the doctor. He had to be there. At the time, he had no cell, if his daughter was sick and he was far, he couldn’t know. So he preferred to refuse when asked to come back working for the corporation."

"I don’t care about his personal life but he was supposed to have worked at least those three years before he quit. He never showed any notes from his researches. I suppose you just politely asked him about the papers? Go back there and ask him again. More firmly this time. Tell him I’m very annoyed to never have had any results. I want all the papers on his research now. They are mine."

"In eighteen years, I don’t think he kept some useless notes..."

"They are not useless, they are the clues to that treasure I’m looking for. I’m sure he has the notes on his research and wants to keep them for himself. I even wonder if he has already found the treasure... I find his family excuse to stop working, kind of rubbish. But he should learn that no one can cross Heihachi Mishima... If he doesn’t want to share his discovery, there are other ways to get what we want."

"... What do you mean?"

"Lee, must I explain everything to you? Are you really that naïve or you’re only pretending? Use any means necessary to get those papers!"

"Yes, Otousama."

Lee hanged up the phone and sighed: He had to go back to that Indian reservation in Arizona again... Another four hours of flight... Any means must mean any means... Lee was not naïve, he knew what his father meant, Heihachi always repeated to both him and Kazuya how ruthless a businessman had to be, so... he was probably being tested now... Yet if mister Chang had no notes, they wouldn’t appear despite being ruthless... He first had to inform himself again to see if mister Chang got anything... Heihachi was certain that the real reason why that man had stopped working for him was that he had found the treasure or was about to find it and wanted to keep it for himself. The Japanese businessman had not acted much on it for years, it had been put on ice since he was busy with many other things but now he wanted Lee to prove that he was able to do what was asked of him.

Lee took the Mishima private plane, then went the rest of the way by car to the reservation to meet mister Chang once more by himself. The councilors Heihachi had appointed to help Lee, had told him to bring some enforcers with him to ‘impress’ mister Chang. Yet Lee didn’t want to ‘impress’ mister Chang, he wanted to convince him in a more civilized way. They also said it would be better for his own safety since in America, contrarily to Japan, everyone could have a gun. Many people over here did not like the Mishima Zaibatsu and he could be the target of their anger. But Lee had learned at least one thing from his father and that was to never act like a coward, so he told them he didn’t fear anyone and went alone. He drove for a while in the desert until he arrived to the small house with the water reservoir beside. He parked in front of the small house and knocked at the door. Madam Chang opened the door and Lee politely bowed. She asked him with some surprise:

"Mister Lee? What brings you back?"

"I am pleased to see you again, madam Chang. I’m sorry to bother you once more but may I speak with your husband?"

"Yes, he is in the kitchen with Michelle. Come in."

Madam Chang led him to the kitchen, where her husband was sitting with their fourteen year old daughter, Michelle. It seemed the family was playing a game of Risk. They both greeted him and mister Chang asked as well why he had come back. But he asked on a friendly tone and didn’t seem bothered by Lee. Even if they considered him with some distrust since he was working for the Mishima Zaibatsu, the Changs had appreciated his politeness and the respect he showed toward them last time. They had even invited him for supper while mister Chang had explained his entire story. Lee had appreciated very much the cornmeal dish and the roasted deer, some Native American meal, but mostly, he had appreciated the relation the father, mother and daughter seemed to share together, like a real loving family. Lee enjoyed seeing it, it was so different from his own family. But they didn’t know he was Heihachi Mishima’s son... Lee didn’t know if he would have been that welcomed if it was the case...

Knowing the people on the reservation didn’t appreciate very much the Mishima Zaibatsu, since they somehow invaded their lands some eighteen years ago with those searches for that treasure even if they had a controversial temporary permit for doing some searches, Lee had thought that he should not say his real tie to the Mishima Zaibatsu CEO. Luckily, he could present himself as Lee Chaolan since he never got the Mishima surname, Heihachi having always refused to give it to him, a thing Lee found both appreciable and annoying, making him less than a Mishima and making him feel that his father never fully accepted him but it also distanced him from that crazy family when needed... An advantage of not having the name, he didn’t get all the hate the Mishimas apparently were getting...

So they didn’t know he was Heihachi’s son and this time, he didn’t feel the need to tell it... Maybe mister Chang knew his tie, Lee never made it secret either but maybe he didn’t, so Lee did not specify it. Beside mister Chang had resigned from the Mishima Zaibatsu before Lee was even adopted, he probably didn’t know him... After politely saluting them and making some small talk to be friendly, Lee went to the point:

"I do apologize to ask you the same question again but Mister Mishima really insisted on the fact that he needed the notes about your searches for the treasure..."

Madam Chang then interrupted:

"I’m sorry but mister Mishima is a very impatient and demanding man. It’s been hundreds of years that people are looking for the Graal, for the yeti, for Shangri-La... The tomb of Tutankhamen have only been very recently discovered, after hundreds of years of searches... Not everybody can find a map to a treasure in three years..."

Mister Chang nodded at his wife’s affirmation.

"Indeed. I’m no better than all those who searched these things... In all those years, apart from the legends that mister Mishima already knows, I haven’t found anything. I told you last time. In three years, I didn’t have time to find much... and didn’t go on with the searches. I’m sorry, I don’t owe him anything. I worked, I did my best and I resigned."

Michelle added:

"Beside it’s Native American grounds. The treasure is probably a sacred Native American relic."

Lee noticed that Michelle and her mother always seemed slightly hostile toward the Mishima Zaibatsu when he talked about it. Mister Chang must not really appreciate the corporation either even if he hid it better than them since he had resigned and refused to come back.

Lee wondered: Why did mister Chang quit his job? Was it really for what he told him last time or more? His wife was Native American, despite the controversial temporary permit, many Navajos were against those searches, she could have convinced him to stop searching on their lands and to please her, he left the corporation and really stopped looking for the treasure... Or maybe he really found something as his father suspected? But they didn’t seem to live like people who had found a treasure... Their house was small, the furniture was worn-out and they had an old car... But the treasure would not be sold for money if it was an ancient treasure... If the treasure was sacred to the Native Americans, he may not have wanted to take it... Whether he found it or not... He may have resigned because of moral objections...

Since he had been given more power in the company, Lee had also learned about many inacceptable things. Not forcibly all illegal but many were immoral and that, as he learned, was the normal way of the Mishima Zaibatsu... But wasn’t the normal way of every businesses? Every corporation bypassed some laws or ethical rules to get what they wanted... They had lawyers for a reason, to get by with anything... Money could do everything. Good or bad. Lee replied to the young girl:

"Yes, I know but as I told your father last time, mister Mishima is willing to pay a really good sum of money for that treasure or useful notes leading to it. Your family, your whole reservation would be quite comfortable for years... It could be very profitable for everyone... Beside mister Mishima knows its value, he would not disrespect the relic... It would be kept and taken care of..."

Madam Chang said:

"I’m sorry but mister Mishima will have to learn that there are some things that cannot be bought in life. Money isn’t everything."

Her husband then added:

"Beside we have nothing to sell. I told you I found nothing."

"But didn’t you get at least some hint? On its location, on what it was exactly..."

"No. It is presented in many forms in the legends and after all those searches, I’m still not certain that the treasure even exist..."

"If it’s the price that you do not find satisfying enough, you can tell me, I shall adapt the check to your convenience. Depending on the info of course, but you could gain much..."

"I told you, I have nothing", said mister Chang.

"Fine. I won’t harass you anymore. But should you remember some hints or find some notes, or even learn where the treasure is, you can always call to notify me about it, mister Chang, and I will still pay you what I offered you last time. Here is my phone number."

Lee gave his business card to mister Chang, politely bowed to him and his family and left their house.

Maybe mister Chang would change his mind soon... He probably needed some time to think it over... Assuming he had notes on the treasure... But if he did, he definitively wasn’t purchasable... Yet maybe since it was Native American, the treasure was now between the reservation band council’s hands... Lee went to see them as well and got the same response: Apart from the old legends, no one knew anything about it. And Lee had the feeling they were telling the truth since he asked the few councilors who were friendly with the Mishima Zaibatsu and had delivered the permit (for a good payment) to search on their lands. They probably would have told the truth...

Lee went away and wondered how his father would take that failure. He’ll look like a fool in front of his father and brother for not being able to do as his father asked of him... Any means... His father had told him to use any means to get those notes if they existed... But Lee was quite reticent to using such resort...

The councilors at the office were all going in the same direction as Heihachi; bully the family to get info or the treasure. But Lee wasn’t okay with this, it was disgusting. Yet despite his scruples, Lee didn’t want to disappoint his father either... The fact that Heihachi had sent him away while he kept Kazuya near him was really worrying Lee, who felt he really wasn’t a Mishima. Kazuya suffered more than him at the hands of Heihachi but, like he said, he was a real Mishima... It did show even with Heihachi’s behavior toward both of them. While Heihachi seemed slightly involved emotionally in both bad or good way (mostly bad though) toward Kazuya, he was always ignoring Lee, or even scorning him... There was something that Lee could feel, some kind of indifference toward him... He received some more responsibilities like working at the Mishima Zaibatsu like his brother, in fact he always received the same things as his brother but there was always that lack of pride Heihachi had for his accomplishments... Like Kazuya told him: _Your failure or success won’t shine back on the distinguished Mishima family..._

But if he could handle things like his father wanted over here, he may get his esteem, his full acceptance and maybe get more than Kazuya... Maybe being sent to America was not some exile as he sometimes felt, maybe it was a chance to prove his worth... A chance that Kazuya had not been given... Despite now training together, father and son were still at each other’s throat, he always was the obedient one... Maybe his father thought he would be more efficient than Kazuya... But his father really sent him to face difficult moral problems... Knowing Heihachi, he probably wanted that, that his adoptive son loses all moral sense... Yet, Lee felt some guilt over forcing those people... Maybe his father sent him here to harden him by having to take care of those bullying... But he couldn’t bully that father and his family... Not only it wasn’t morale but he didn’t even know if they had the treasure or hints on it... Money didn’t seem to buy that family at all...

But why was Heihachi wanting so much to have that treasure? Lee knew his father collected geta sandals but not archeological treasures... And as mister Chang said, maybe it didn’t even exist...

* * *

Meanwhile, Kazuya went to see his father who was meditating. Heihachi felt his presence and slightly turning his head, asked:

"Kazuya. What do you want?"

"You remember that note I sent you when I was a child?"

Heihachi made an arrogant face and replied:

"Yes, that lovely note. What about it?"

He knew which note it was since Kazuya never sent him anything else from that one that said: _Father, one day, I will tear you to pieces_. Kazuya continued:

"You were so scared that you had to pick a distraction for me not to do it. But that distraction, your bodyguard, is gone now."

"Bodyguard? Who? Lee?"

In fact, Kazuya didn’t really think of Lee as a bodyguard but as a distraction mostly, which was meant to distract him from trying to kill his father once more. And it did, so in a way, it protected Heihachi...

"He won’t be able to protect you from me now."

Heihachi started to laugh.

"Hahaha! You think I relied on Lee to protect me? That I was scared of you? Wahaha! Oh son, I thought you were boring but I was wrong, you’re too funny! A pity I’ll have to kill you! In fact, it’s quite the contrary, I thought that since I wasn’t able to kill you as a helpless child, I may have to do it the warrior way, in a fair fight once you were an adult. Then you had to get some training to be able to confront me one day. So I picked Lee as a training partner. He was brought here for you. Not for me."

Heihachi got up, smiled and asked:

"Did you train enough? Are you ready to die? I taught you all my moves, now we can be equals."

"I am ready to die but after I kill you. I’ll destroy you for killing my mother and making my life a living hell since then."

Heihachi remembered that it was here in this exact place that he had killed Kazumi sixteen years ago... She was corrupted by a devilish spirit and she tried to kill him... It had pained Heihachi to kill his wife but he had no choice. As he knew he had no choice to kill his own son one day... So he tried every ways to keep his son far from his heart so that he would be able to kill him as well, he let no one near his heart so that he would always be able to do what had to be done. Well, apart from Kuma... There could be no mercy in the financial world and no mercy in the real world as well.

"I had to go through many obstacles, to kill that Devil. Kazumi being the first and the hardest... But today, it will be over. Now that you have grown up, since I must kill you, I hope you will be a worthy challenge..."

* * *

Sometimes later in the United States, Lee received a call. It was his father, Heihachi.

"You won’t see Kazuya when you come back. He’s dead."

"What?! How did he...?"

"An accident. He fell down a cliff."

"... Must I come back today, Otousama? Are you alright?"

"Of course I am."

"So you don’t need me?"

"No. So you got nothing on the treasure?"

Lee stayed mute for a while before he answered:

"... No."

That treasure again... Lee first didn’t know if he had to console his father or if his father was the one who killed Kazuya... They had such an hostile relation toward each other sometimes... But now... his father seemed to not care about Kazuya at all but only the treasure... Maybe he really killed Kazuya... Lee suddenly remembered what Kazuya had told him many years ago: _They would get killed_... Was Kazuya right all this time? But his father was still talking over the phone:

"You disappoint me, Lee. I thought you could succeed in what my previous public relation director couldn’t but it seems you can’t even do that."

"I’m sorry, Otousama…"

Lee was actually more sorry for Kazuya than for not finding that annoying treasure... Yet he was confused: He didn’t even know why he was feeling sad now... He and Kazuya had not the best of relation... He did remember some times when Kazuya and he were happy together but those were so few... In all those almost ten years, he could probably count on his ten fingers the times they smiled at each other and in the last year, he couldn’t remember a time where they had fun together... They were always at each other’s throat... or scorning each other... They were happier while away from one another, so Kazuya’s death should not change anything...

"...I don’t need sorry, I need results..." continued his father over the phone.

Was he sad over the failed relationship? Sad for never having the brother relationship he would have wanted? Out of pity for Kazuya? He had such a sad life... His father always mistreated him... and didn’t even seem sad on the phone... Yet was it surprising? Has Heihachi ever demonstrated some kind of love toward any of his sons? Kazuya was a Mishima, Heihachi and him somehow had some kind of strong tie but it was not love...

Despite having access to a lot of money, Lee knew his father didn’t really care much about him either. But Lee always told himself that being ignored or even scorned was better than being hated even though he did suffer from it... He really would love if his father showed him some appreciation or affection sometimes... Yet he still didn’t know why he was sad for Kazuya... It probably was the shock of the news... After all, he mostly never cared for Kazuya when he was alive... and sometimes even wished him dead... Heihachi was a bad father but Kazuya was a bad brother as well... But just knowing that he would never see him again... was kind of sad...

"... Any means necessary..." was now telling Heihachi as Lee was only half listening.

But was it fear? Since his father could kill his own son, he could very well kill him as well... Lee always feared Heihachi once he discovered his true harsh and brutal nature but he never thought his father’s tyrannical attitude could go to that point... Even when Kazuya told him that troubling ′ _they would get killed’_ since he didn’t believe him, but now... He had learned a lot about the way of the Mishima Zaibatsu, about his father... So was he scared of him now? More than before?

Yet there was another side... an excellent side... With Kazuya out of the way, the whole Mishima Zaibatsu would be his to inherit... There was no need to feel threatened now... He was the sole heir of the whole thing... Heihachi would notice his accomplishments, would consider him his son to the fullest... That was great news... Why was he sad? Or scared? Or feeling regrets? He was so confused...

"...and get the job done."

"... Yes, Otousama…"

And Heihachi hung up the phone while Lee had not understood most of the conversation since he was lost in his thoughts. It probably was the same thing as always anyway...

* * *

Still overwhelmed by both Kazuya’s death and that task of getting mister Chang’s notes, by the troubling ‘any means necessary’, Lee had put aside everything for now. He had not been to work for three days, he shouldn’t, he was now the only heir, he had to give a perfect example but he didn’t want anybody to see him like this. He didn’t want to look sad or troubled in front of anyone. After all, he had an image to maintain... Beside he still didn’t know what to do with those notes... Having hardly slept at night, he was still in his bed when the phone rang.

"Hummm? Hello?"

It was his father, Heihachi.

"What? I woke you up? What are you doing in bed at this hour?"

"I just don’t feel very good... I need some vacations..."

"Did I permit you to take a vacation and be lazy in bed? Why does my only remaining son have to be an incapable? Now I have only one son and he can’t even make me proud!"

Lee held the phone as far from him as he could while Heihachi scolded him. Even thousands of kilometers away, his father was poisoning his life... Yet he had to listen to what his father was telling him, so he brought the phone back to his ear...

"Go back to work! I told you I don’t like weaklings! At least, before your ‘vacations’, have you succeeded in retrieving those notes?"

"Huh... No. I was thinking about a way to do so..."

"Force him."

"Hum... Yes, I will."

And Heihachi hang up the phone, leaving Lee discouraged. Finally being the only heir was kind of stressful... Despite not having to share once he inherited, he now had to be up to the actual task...

* * *

The next day, Lee went to the Changs’ house and invited the father to the restaurant. After they ordered, he quickly went to the point.

"I am sorry to ask you so brutally, I do apologize, but I really need your notes on the treasure. Have you made up your mind about the money I offered you?"

"I can’t make up my mind, I told you I didn’t get any valuable hints to write down, I have nothing."

"I find it hard to believe so I must insist, I really need those notes. It would be better for your family."

Mister Chang got surprised. He knew the way of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Heavens, no. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding... I’m just... asking. I meant better for them to have money... So you really don’t have anything?"

I’ll look like a loser in front of Otousama... thought the silver-haired man with some anxiety before he asked:

"You don’t have any people you know I could try to ask for some hints on the treasure? You didn’t do your researches with anyone? The Band Council really doesn’t know anything about it?"

"... Not really... I worked alone. So you were not threatening me?" asked the now distrustful man.

"No. I’m sorry for my confusing manners if it gave you that impression."

Lee then thought of something:

"But if you don’t have any notes, at least, give me some false notes. I am willing to pay you well for those."

Mister Chang asked on a surprised tone:

"Why do you need false notes?"

Lee looked embarrassed and said:

"I need to show my superior that I am worthy of his trust... I just... I’ll lose my position if I can’t bring him the notes..."

Mister Chang’s expression suddenly changed: He looked sad and replied on a fatherly tone:

"Hum. But I don’t have any... and making false notes will not show that you are trustworthy... I’m sorry for your job but sometimes it’s better to leave a place where they put too much pressure on you... I know something about it... I know how the Mishima Zaibatsu works... You’re young, you’ll be able to find someplace else... Maybe you should leave..."

That wasn’t the answer Lee wanted. He would certainly not leave his future corporation... But he still couldn’t use violence on mister Chang or his family... Disappointed, he brought mister Chang back to his house and went away in his sport car.

"I shall do my research alone. Or my false notes alone. Then I won’t disappoint Otousama."

He then thought with some anxiety:

"I’ll never have time to do worthy false notes! I don’t even know anything about it!"

* * *

The next day after having tried to find a solution to tell his father all night, he told him:

"He really doesn’t have any notes. I think we should start the search all over."

"So, in short, you have nothing?"

"Not yet."

"Lee, you’re so weak... You can’t do anything right but to disappoint me! If you can’t handle the task, I’m taking you out from that position! Go back to your studies! I’ll take care of it!"

"But Otousama...! I can do it..."

And Heihachi hung up the phone.

* * *

Many months later...

"I hope you won’t disappoint me like last time..."

"No. I won’t disappoint you this time, Otousama."

Lee hung up the phone. His father asked him another job which Lee knew would imply some dirty business. He had completely failed the task with mister Chang, refusing to act in a corrupt way... His father punished him by taking him away from the prestigious position he had and some months later, Lee learned that mister Chang had died... In a car accident... But Lee knew how that car accident happened... or mostly why and who was responsible...

Now his father offered to take him back in his good grace and give him a good position if he successfully did a task for him, which would most probably involve foul play... Not wanting to disappoint his father once more, still hoping to get his approval and redeem himself in his eyes to one day get the Mishima Zaibatsu, Lee had decided to act more ruthlessly.

Though he didn’t do the job himself since it was too hard to know the people he would have to threaten later, like for the Changs, so he sent hired thugs who would give a lesson to some guy who refused to bow to the Mishima Zaibatsu’s will, to the terrible Heihachi’s will. Having got somehow a twisted lesson that if he had been a little more ruthless with Mr. Chang maybe things wouldn’t have gone to the point of murder, Lee decided to use threats, violence, extortion and corruption to get his father’s way.

But he was feeling really bad inside... Lee hated what he had to do and what he had become and mostly began to resent his father for pushing him to do it... while still wishing for his approval... Heihachi did give him some compliments when he succeeded in getting things done...


	8. The King of Iron Fist Tournament

Five years later, Chinatown, San Francisco...

"Whaaaa-? How many zeros?" asked Marshall Law as he stopped eating his baozi in astonishment.

Marshall Law was the personal trainer of Lee who hired him five years ago when he came to America. Marshall also often brought his friend Paul Phoenix and they all trained together. The three were now eating at the restaurant where Marshall was also working part-time to be able to support his family. Lee had offered to drive them both to the restaurant after some training before Marshall would begin his shift. When hanging with his friends, Lee was not wearing his elegant clothes since now he was only wearing some jeans with an opened sleeveless black vest with a unicorn on the back and some boots. Yet he was still wearing an expensive silver necklace and his clothes were not cheap either... But hanging with those two guys was more casual, so he didn’t feel the need to dress all elegantly like he often did elsewhere. They were not important business partners or high society...

"100,000,000,000 yens, which is about 900,000,000 American dollars, if you can win the King of Iron Fist Tournament", repeated Lee to his two companions.

"King of Iron fist tournament?" asked Paul Phoenix who seemed interested by the name.

"Yes. My father organized this event for the best fighters around the world."

"Cool... Can I go? ’Cuz I’m the toughest fighter in the universe!" claimed Paul who rose from his seat to flex his muscles before everyone in the restaurant.

"If you prove yourself worthy, why not? You could also avoid paying for your trip over there and come on the Mishima private jet since I’m going as well. The jet has many commodities: You could enjoy the giant T.V. in our luxurious salon or take a shower in the extra large bathroom if you wish... Or..."

Still flaunting his wealth... thought Paul with some jealousy. Yet it was kind to offer but to hear Lee acting all show-off all along the trip will be annoying...

Never having any money, Paul was jealous of that rich guy despite Lee being quite cheerful and friendly. That guy had a nice sport car, great clothes, could go in any restaurants he wished... And Lee liked flaunting his money in front of them... He may be generous, often paying the restaurant, parties or whatever, but he was slightly annoying, flaunting his money like this... Such a spoiled rich...

Lee was aware that Paul didn’t like him too much, mostly his rich side. But he wasn’t really friend with Paul. Paul was Marshall’s friend. He sometimes accompanied Marshall to Lee’s training lessons to make another fighter to train with but while Marshall befriended Lee, Lee and Paul never felt really friend mostly because of Paul’s jealousy.

Lee never did anything to calm Paul on that. He wouldn’t live like a poor just to please that guy... He wanted to hide that part of his life where he was born into poverty. Kazuya reminded him often enough all those years... Lee was now addicted to this life of luxury he had. He now didn’t fear like he did in his childhood to go back in the streets and starve, it wouldn’t happen anymore, he now had work experience, education... Even in the eventuality that he was kicked out of the family (which probably wouldn’t happen now that Kazuya was dead...), he wouldn’t go back in the streets... But he wanted money, luxury goods, cars, clothes, jewels... The latest in technology... Everything...

His father often told him he was wasting his money on stupidities but aside from grumbling about it, sometimes giving him the usual noogies or spankings if he judged Lee really spent money on some major stupidity, he let him spend all that money... When he was there, Kazuya often reproached him to spend money that was his, to spend more money than him and to live on the Mishima’s fortune while he was just a stranger, a poor beggar coming from the streets, but it didn’t stop Lee from buying things either... to erase his past. He may have been born poor but he had more class than Kazuya ever had, he should have been the one born rich. Anyway, the money was his as well now. Despite Kazuya’s assertions, he was part of the family, even now the only heir, and the Mishima Zaibatsu would not go bankrupt because of his spending...

But Paul still replied to the rich guy:

"Didn’t I prove my worth enough to you? You never won against me..."

As much as Paul disliked Lee flaunting his money in front of him, Lee disliked Paul bragging about the fact that he never could beat him. But he just made a slightly annoyed face and replied:

"At least, if you come with me, you’ll have to behave with class..."

"Class? Yeah, I’m a class one fighter..."

"Though I cannot garanty your return on the Mishima private jet since I may not return to the United States as soon as the competition is over. I may stay some times with my father. But I could arrange to pay your return on some regular flight..."

Lee thought that he may stay in Japan since Heihachi had told him that if he won, since he was the heir, he would not only win the money but also immediate control of the whole Mishima Zaibatsu... if Lee could beat him since Heihachi would also participate. Lee wondered why his father had offered him such a challenge and he wasn’t certain he would be able to vanquish his fearsome father but in the case he lost, he would just have to wait some more years to get the Mishima Zaibatsu. But he hoped he would be able to show his father his worth in a fight... Yet he didn’t really know why his father organized that tournament... Probably to confront the best fighters since Heihachi was obsessed with fighting...

"Oh, thanks but I’m getting back in America in my new 900,000,000 dollar jet", answered Paul, quite confident about his fighting skills.

"Excellent! That’s the spirit!" answered Lee while giving him a thumbs-up.

Lee turned toward Marshall, continuing what he was first asking:

"So I wanted to ask you to help me train for this tournament, here and once in Japan. I want a more extensive training. What do you say? Do you accept to come to Japan and be my personal trainer for the Tournament?"

"So, all I got to do is train you extensively for five months and then accompany you to Japan to keep training you?"

"As I said, you could also participate for the price if you wish but I really need you to train me. Despite maybe being competition with each other."

Marshall began to think out loud:

"With that money, I could open my own dojo and have my dream fulfilled... Stop working in that restaurant and start training people in my own dojo... My own dojo! Maybe a dojo with a restaurant! People train then eat! It would be called Train eat as it or Training eat, train on the go? Or just my name?"

"Food... hum... Food... Foodojo?" asked Paul.

"I don’t know, those names are all stupid..." continued Marshall, not too satisfied on the names. "I think I’ll keep my name in it: Marshall... Marshall China..."

But he also thought about something else:

"And Forest could get his entire education paid for! Best universities and all!"

Marshall was now dreaming about what he could offer to his little four years old boy... But right now, just to be hired to train Lee more frequently would pay him more than he was now... Though he would have to take a vacation from his job at the restaurant to go to the contest... He would also have to talk about all that to his wife... He told Lee:

"I’ll talk about it to my wife first. Then I’ll tell you. But I’m all for it and I guess she will be as well."

"Excellent."

* * *

Marshall’s wife accepted and they all trained extensively for five months before they all went to Japan in the Mishima private jet on the opening day of the Tournament. They went from the jet to some limousine straight to the King of Iron Fist Arena.

The arena was giant and many people were already gathered around it. There were balloons, food stands, mascots, everything to make the place livelier. There even were already some fights going on at some places of the arena’s outside grounds. Those fights were not part of the competition though but mostly for entertainment like the few singers who were giving their show.

As Lee and friends entered the King of Iron Fist arena, they noticed many fighters were already there. Some to go on the training grounds, others to get some attention from the journalists and the crowd, others only getting acquainted with the area... The competition would begin in some hours, in the evening and would last for days...

"People from all around the world... It’s kind of exciting..." said Marshall as they were walking around when Paul noticed someone he knew:

"Hey! That’s the guy who had a draw with me last year! The only one who could achieve such a feat! What’s he doin’ here?"

"Who?" asked Lee as he turned toward where Paul was pointing. He then gasped in shock:

"Kazuya!"

Kazuya was at the snack counter, drinking some juice. He looked dressed to fight as he was wearing only white pants and red gloves and footpads. He didn’t seem to have noticed Lee and didn’t seem to care about anyone around.

"You know him?" asked Paul.

"Yes... He’s my brother."

Still looking at the man Paul showed, Lee could only testify that it was indeed Kazuya.

"... My supposedly dead brother."

Lee went toward Kazuya and said:

"Kazuya! ...I thought you were dead..."

Kazuya stopped drinking, simply lifted his head, made a small lopsided grin and replied:

"Humpf. And were you happy? Did I spoil your fun?"

"..."

Lee said nothing. He never got along with Kazuya so he didn’t really miss him much, only felt pity for him at first but he had gotten over it... Since Kazuya’s ‘death’, Lee had enjoyed being the sole heir of the Mishima Zaibatsu... He had lived the good life without fearing that his father would choose his brother... He was now the only child... Kazuya was far away in his mind now...

For a while he had thought that he was the only heir, yet there was always Kuma, who somehow may be a rival since Heihachi loved him very much and the bear was strangely showing great feats of intelligence, better than any normal bear... Heihachi even talked sometimes about giving Kuma some important position... So even if it was probably unlikely, Lee had at times feared losing his inheritance to that bear... Probably not, Heihachi was probably not that crazy and he didn’t seem to hate Lee as much as he hated Kazuya but... Each times they saw each other since Lee went to America, Heihachi never showed any affection toward him, he still ignored and scorned him, giving him sparse compliments only when he succeeded in some important business deals. Heihachi always remained aloof with him while he always showed unconditional affection toward his beloved pet bear...

Lee who never had anything against Kuma before, was now beginning to resent the bear, well, not really but he was jealous... He also knew that Heihachi enrolled Kuma in the Tournament... Was he really eligible to win the Zaibatsu as well, as Heihachi told him? His father probably was joking... Kuma was probably just there to stop competitors... Yet if he put that crazy thought aside, Lee was almost certain he would get the inheritance one day... If not during that tournament, it would just be later...

"But I’ll spoil your fun! I’m challenging you! This time, I’ll win! No draw here!" suddenly interrupted Paul as he addressed Kazuya on a rough tone.

"So it’s you", said Kazuya as he turned toward the defiant Paul, looking unimpressed while crossing his arms once more.

"Yeah! This time, we’ll know who’s the toughest in the universe!"

"Humpf."

Lee noticed the way Kazuya was looking at Paul, with such contempt... and he remembered how Kazuya was contemptuous toward him as well. He also remembered all those times Kazuya had tried to bully him, to hurt him... Yes, Kazuya did spoil his fun... Kazuya was an evil person... And it was not time to feel pity or reconcile with him, trying to think about the few times they got along. If Kazuya was in that tournament, he would probably have to fight him... Right now, Lee was quite angry that after having thought of gaining the whole Mishima Zaibatsu, that annoying brother suddenly appeared and would steal it from him. Well steal it, he didn’t really know... If Kazuya was dead, he must have been erased from the will, no? Mostly if he was victim of a murder attempt by Heihachi... But he wasn’t dead... Something happened...

Maybe Heihachi didn’t even try to kill him... He really fell down a cliff, and survived. But didn’t come back. For some reason. Or was it some kind of trick his foster father and brother did on him just to see his reaction? His father never seemed sad on the phone when he told him Kazuya was dead... They were hanging together when he left... What have they schemed against him? But why do this? For so long? That was stupid... But after all, they were crazy... Kazuya liked to make him suffer and Heihachi liked to humiliate him... for no reasons... Yet now he had to know.

But since Kazuya was still being addressed by a defiant Paul who seemed to leave no place for anyone else to speak with his bragging and defiance while people came toward them, curious about the confrontation, Lee quickly left to see his father. Beside if he didn’t know yet, Heihachi had to learn about Kazuya. Maybe Kazuya came for revenge... Storming into the tournament’s office where he found his father as he had thought, he quickly asked him:

"Otousama! How come Kazuya is alive? Did you know about it? I just saw him down there!"

Heihachi turned to him and said on a grumpy tone:

"I know... He’s unkillable…"

Lee stopped: Unkillable... So his father really tried to kill Kazuya? What happened between the two? Despite now being quite unnerved and worried about the somehow confessed murder attempt and Kazuya’s return, he slightly calmed down and asked:

"...But, what happened? You never told me how he died, he fell down but the circumstances... Why did you...? I don’t understand..."

"You don’t need to understand anything. Just understand this: Whoever wins the tournament, wins the Mishima Zaibatsu. The winner between you, Kuma and Kazuya will get the Mishima Zaibatsu for himself."

"What?! But if you tried to k... why take him back? And wasn’t it supposed to be me? Now or later?"

"When Kazuya was dead. Now he’s not. He is my blood and entitled to it as much as you. So you’ll have to fight for it. You’ll have to prove yourself and win the whole championship. Against me, against Kuma and now against Kazuya as well."

"You knew he was alive? That’s why you called me back to participate in this? That’s why you organized the whole thing?"

Lee was quite angry at his father since Heihachi had decided to play the Mishima Zaibatsu behind his back. What stupid idea was it to win a business over a tournament instead of merits? Whatever argument they had, it seemed Kazuya was still worthy to inherit the corporation...

"I had some doubts", simply answered his father.

For some years, Heihachi thought that Kazuya was dead. He then heard some rumours of a fighter fitting Kazuya’s description and had decided to organize a tournament to see if that really was the case. If it was, it made no doubts that Kazuya would come to participate, for revenge, for the price, or both, and it turned out he did... It seemed Kazuya survived the fall once more, even if it was far higher. Next time, he will have to throw him in a volcano or maybe in space, just to make sure...

"So you called him back?"

"I had to."

Lee was jealous. Heihachi had to because Kazuya was a Mishima? Once more worth more than him? Despite all the hate between them? Despite all the efforts that he, Lee, was doing for the Zaibatsu? All the sacrifices and dirty things he had to do to serve the corporation and his father? He then directly asked:

"But didn’t you try to kill him? Otousama, I need to know a lot of things. What happened between you and Kazuya? Why did you try to kill him? You had ‘doubts’ he was alive? How did he supposedly died? He really fell down a cliff? I’m left in the dark since too long, I want to know. Why do you hate Kazuya? Why have you..."

...Never loved me? thought Lee who then thought that he should put those emotional questions aside so he didn’t ask.

Heihachi looked at Lee with an impassive face and told him:

"I’ll tell you everything if you win. If you win. Don’t think I’ll make it easy for you... or for him... or even for Kuma..."

"Please, stop adding Kuma to the equation..."

"Why? Lee, I’m disappointed in you, I never taught you to discriminate. Kuma deserves to be respected. He’s as much a serious candidate as you. I even adapted some contracts for him to sign if he wins here."

And Heihachi showed some papers with a drawing of a bear’s head and something resembling Heihachi’s head and mostly his hair with an arrow going from Heihachi’s head to Kuma’s head. Lee sighed: And they call me eccentric and weird...

His father probably was joking... Mostly with the cheerful face he was now showing... Yet it was sometimes hard to tell with Heihachi... He could be so stern and scary but at time so cheerful and crazy...

"Fine. My mistake. Forgive me, I shouldn’t have discriminated."

Leaving the office, Lee went to look for his two companions but couldn’t find them anywhere. Whatever. He knew their hotel if he needed to go see them later. Now he felt like walking alone to think about all that just happened.

Beside Marshall and Paul mostly were friends together and he never really felt part of the group. Mostly now when he didn’t even feel part of his own family... His father favored a bear and a real son, who hated him and that he tried to kill for some reason, over him for the control of the whole Mishima Zaibatsu... Logically the Zaibatsu should be his... He was the one who did the most for the corporation... He devoted most of his time and effort to the Mishima Zaibatsu’s success. He even did morally reprehensible things he still regretted to please his father and help the corporation...

So he now had to fight for the Mishima Zaibatsu... Both his father and his brother... and maybe Kuma... The bear... Kuma may be intelligent but to the point of ruling a financial empire? If he’s to make all the contracts with little bear heads, the Mishima Zaibatsu will never be taken seriously again... It was probably a joke... Everything here looked like a joke... You don’t play a company over some tournament! Lee could understand the hype of a tournament, it did give some great visibility for the corporation but to decide to give it to whoever, at least someone from the family, would win... was... Heihachi was a fighter in everything...

Yet Lee still wondered what happened between Heihachi and Kazuya... Maybe Kazuya would tell him... but he never was the talkative type... No, he probably won’t say anything... No need to try to find him for answers... But if Heihachi really tried to kill him, Kazuya will probably try to kill him in the ring... Kazuya was probably here for that first and foremost...


	9. The amulet

In the evening, the tournament began. There was an opening show with fireworks and some small concert from one of the most popular pop music group of the moment. Lee was sitting beside his father in their own private spectator VIP box and they had a perfect view of the ring where the show was now going on and of the two giant screens showing the show (and later the fights) more in details to the public. Kuma had his own chair as well but, not interested by the festivities, was sleeping in the back.

“You know, in the last few months, I participated in many tournaments in the United States, I got quite a reputation as the Silver-haired demon. I won most of my fights and won many medals and trophies”, said Lee to his father with some pride.

He never had the time to tell him or mostly Heihachi never had time to listen to him, except for business related subjects. Now they were stuck together, so his father wouldn’t flee or avoid the subject. He could try to boast about his accomplishment to get some compliments. Lee wanted his father to be proud of his achievement.

“Most?”

“Yes, most.”

“And you’re satisfied? You must not accept to win most, you must win all.”

“Yes, but most is kind of good as well...”

“If you want to win a championship, you must win them all. You can never settle for less.”

“Hum. So... we will look at the second elimination round all week?”

“Yes. The first elimination was not part of the real tournament since of the one hundred and fourteen contestants, we had to take out the fifty-seven losers, those not deserving to set foot on this ring. When the contestants will climb the pyramid, we will add some challengers for them. The prototype Jack will come in the first stage to make them fifty-eight fighters and will continue climbing the pyramid if he wins like anyone else, Kuma will come in the second stage to make it thirty fighters, you will follow in the next stage to make it sixteen fighters and you will all continue fighting each other until only one remains. I will be in the last fight, against the only one who will have reached the top. Maybe it will be you, Kazuya or Kuma.”

“So Kazuya has to climb all the levels to reach you?”

“Yes. He already won the first elimination fight and will have to continue fighting to climb the pyramid. You have it far easier than him, since you’ll fight less contestants, yet those reaching you will be among the best. You even have it easier than Kuma. You’re the most privileged of all. So don’t complain this time.”

“Well thank you, Otousama.”

Despite still thinking that to play the Mishima Zaibatsu over a tournament was stupid, Lee did appreciate the favoritism that he was given... So his father appreciated him... Somehow...

The fights were now beginning. After many other contestants, Kazuya entered the ring. He gazed at the VIP box with a defiant gaze and Heihachi smiled defiantly in return, somehow inviting his son to reach him while also telling him that he would crush him.

Lee asked his father:

“Where does Kazuya stays? Does he stay in the Mishima hotel like most contestants?”

“No. I have no idea where he resides. I asked some of my assistants to inform me on each contestant’s temporary residence, just in case... but none of them discovered where Kazuya was living.”

The fight began and Kazuya destroyed his adversary quite easily. Most people were now cheering over his victory while he seemed impassive except for the defiant stare he once again gave toward the VIP box. Heihachi clapped his hands as well like most of the crowd.

“Kazuya has done good, right Lee?” said Heihachi as he still stared at Kazuya getting acclaimed. There was a slight bit of pride into his voice as he said that.

“Yes.”

Lee was less enthusiastic about Kazuya’s victory... Heihachi seemed happy of it, he didn’t seem to fear his son... He was probably anticipating the fight with him, thought Lee. Did that mean he was rooting for Kazuya instead of him? But maybe he wanted to kill Kazuya during that fight... for that unknown reason...

The fights were over for the night so Lee and Heihachi were now looking at the filmed first elimination fights on their private screen. Those fights happened sometimes before the big opening event and were somehow the ‘auditions’ for the contestants, those not good enough were not accepted in the real thing. Paul and Marshall had passed theirs just this afternoon. Heihachi wanted to know how the remaining contestants were fighting, he wanted to know their strength, their weaknesses... To see for the tournament but also to see if some of them deserved to be hired by him...

But as they were staring at the screen, looking at the many contestants, Lee suddenly noticed one of them: Michelle Chang. She had grown up, she wasn’t the young fourteen year old girl he had met, she would be about eighteen years old now so she was old enough to come here but he mostly wondered: What was she doing here? Does it have something to do with the death of her father? Probably... Would he be held responsible for it? Or Heihachi? She probably came to kill one of them...

As Michelle was still on the screen, Heihachi, suddenly noticing something as well, paused the video and said to Lee:

“That’s the treasure! The amulet! I knew it, that Chang knew all along where the treasure was... But that girl doesn’t seem to know, if she brought it here... or does she?”

Lee looked at the screen noticing the amulet Michelle was wearing around her neck.

“That’s the treasure? ...So they had it? They lied to me...? Those... I had such misery in trying to get those notes, I spend many sleepless nights wondering how to ask them and they had the treasure all along?! I have been nice for nothing, they lied to me...”

Seeing how Lee was outraged at having being lied to, Heihachi scoffed:

“You have to be less naïve, Lee. I told you to be firmer when interrogating them.”

“Yes, you are right. Now I know. I learned a lot since then...”

“But no matter, we’ll organize something to take her amulet now... She won the first elimination, she is still here and will fight tomorrow...”

“You’ll buy it?”

Heihachi turned toward Lee and smiled.

“You’re still being naïve... They refused to sell... They have been given their chance... and I do not give second chances.”

* * *

Some times later, walking in a backstreet, Michelle was getting back to the hotel where she stayed after she trained in some gym. The hotel was some cheap one where she had to enter by the door in the backstreet since she couldn’t afford much more expensive. Most of the contestants had been given better hotel rooms at the Mishima hotels after their victory in the first fight but Michelle refused since she wanted to have some intimacy to be able to escape or hide if she could, once the murder would be done.

As Lee had guessed, Michelle was indeed here to kill Heihachi whom she learned had ordered her father’s murder. Michelle knew how the Mishima Zaibatsu was corrupted, her father had told his wife and Michelle some things he knew about them... Like the way which he was asked to take the treasure... As Heihachi had later told his son, mister Chang was instructed to use every means possible and that meant every means... even those not legal or moral, a thing Michelle’s father could not do, mostly after getting to know and appreciate the people of the area and falling in love with Michelle’s mother... First considered an intruder on the reservation, he had left the Mishima Zaibatsu, married Michelle’s mother and then became fully accepted and appreciated by the tribe. But he had told his wife some things and also told her that if he died in mysterious ways one day, mostly when they began receiving visits from Lee and the man who succeeded Lee, she would know who did it...

Michelle’s mother then told her daughter on her eighteenth birthday about the truth concerning her father’s ‘accident’. Horrified, Michelle decided to avenge her father and kill the one responsible for it. Without telling her mother, she saved her money and paid herself a one-way ticket to Japan. She didn’t have enough for her return but she didn’t really care, what mattered was to avenge her father. Roaming around the Mishima mansion and the Mishima Zaibatsu Corporation to find some opportunity to kill the CEO, she realized that both places were too heavily guarded for her to break in. Then learning about the Iron Fist Tournament, she thought that it could be an opportunity to approach Heihachi Mishima and kill him, so she decided to participate.

As she was about to take the few stairs to the door, someone addressed her:

“Miss Chang!”

Michelle turned around and saw a silver-haired man that she instantly recognized: Lee Chaolan. A Mishima Zaibatsu employee... She never told them where she resided, how did he know?

Michelle backed away in distrust.

“Huh... What do you want?”

She wasn’t sure if he had anything to do in her father’s death. Her father had told her his last meeting with Lee and how the young man seemed slightly desperate as he had told him he would be fired if he could not get the notes on the treasure. Then the young man never came again and that new man replaced him, acting more ruthlessly toward them, threatening her father in a much more direct way while Lee had always asked politely. And then her father died, killed in that fake accident, probably by that new man’s order... Lee Chaolan probably had nothing to do in this, her father didn’t think Lee able to do such a thing, yet Michelle wasn’t sure... He was desperate for his job... What if he sent a goon pretending to be the new responsible? Why was he here now? Was he still working for the Mishima Zaibatsu? Lee gallantly bowed to her:

“It is a pleasure to see you...”

But he then quickly addressed her on a serious tone:

“I’m sorry to be that rude but you have to leave Japan at once. Take that money and buy a plane ticket as soon as you can.”

Lee handed her a wallet.

“What? No. I am here for a reason.”

“What reason?”

Michelle looked at the silver haired man: Either he knew about her father and probably already guessed her intentions or if he didn’t know, he probably wasn’t working for the Mishima Zaibatsu anymore so he wouldn’t care too much about her intentions. But he probably knew something was going on since he told her to leave. After some seconds, she asked him on a slightly angry tone:

“Do you know what happened to my father? Do you still work for the Mishima Zaibatsu?”

Lee seemed very well informed as he answered her:

“Yes. That is why you must flee. Those who killed him will try to kill you as well.”

Michelle wasn’t surprised and replied:

“They killed my father in the United States, I won’t be safer if I go away.”

“But at least, don’t jump directly into the lion’s den. The Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters are here, you are in Heihachi Mishima’s empire. And they know about your amulet.”

He then added on a slight reproachful tone:

“Why do you come flaunting it in his face? You wish to sell it now or what?”

“My amulet?”

Noticing Michelle’s perplexed look as she began to have doubts about what it was, Lee understood she probably didn’t really know what it was.

“Yes. It’s the treasure Heihachi Mishima was looking for all along. The treasure your father was supposed to not have.”

Michelle’s father had indeed found the treasure but realizing that the Mishima Zaibatsu was too evil to hold such a powerful artifact, he had kept it secret, even from his daughter, whom he thought he would reveal to only when she would turn eighteen and had not even told his wife. But he never got to see his daughter’s eighteenth birthday and had left this world with many secrets...

Lee didn’t really mind that mister Chang lied about it. He pretended to look offended in front of Heihachi but with the way Heihachi used to take the treasure, he understood they wanted to refuse. He was still angry of what his father asked him to do.

Michelle grabbed her necklace while gazing at it with astonishment. Not knowing that this amulet really was the treasure, but having found it among her deceased father’s possessions, Michelle had chosen to wear it now as she thought it would give her her father’s support in battle. But so... it was the treasure? Her father had it all along?

“So that is the treasure you wanted all along?”

“Yes. So leave before they get you. Or sell it if you don’t mind, then you may be left alone after. But Heihachi will not want to bargain now that you’re onto his territory, he is intended on hurting you now and take the amulet by force. Unless you sell it to me right now, I would buy it and they may leave you alone after, he has nothing personally against you, he just would use any ways to get that amulet. And right now, you’re at his mercy, you won’t be able to deal with him. So sell it now but if you want to keep it, leave. As quickly as you can.”

Michelle noticed that Lee seemed quite nervous. He was scared of his own corporation? Yet he still worked for them since he offered to buy it...

“Why are you helping me? You want to buy it for a cheap price or something? Giving me scares to lower the price?”

“No. I don’t even want that amulet. I don’t even know why Heihachi wants it. Keep it if you want it, I don’t mind. I would just buy it to get you out of troubles. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Lee suddenly looked sad.

“I never wished for your family to suffer. I’m sorry that I could not act for your father. I didn’t know about it, about what would happen to him. But I regret to not have known what to do... Go away, Heihachi is very cruel, he will kill you to get what he wants if he must.”

Michelle looked at the young businessman; he seemed sincere but it probably was part of his job to act like an hypocrite... He was some kind of public relation guy back in the United States... Public relations were there so that people would do as they wished, not to please them. He wanted to buy the amulet for a cheap price even if he said he didn’t... She would then be supposed to feel all grateful because he bought it for some cheap price and ‘saved’ her...

“I’m not selling it and I’m ready to confront Heihachi Mishima in the arena... You can tell him that... If he can face his actions and if he wishes to get it in an honorable way, he has to face me on the ring.”

Lee was getting nervous: If his father or anyone working for him saw him with her, he would get punished, she would get killed... They had to leave now... Not get defiant... The Mishima Zaibatsu knew where she resided with their spies. To know as well, Lee had quickly accessed the computer of the corporation to get the information and get to her before them since Heihachi was waiting for her tomorrow in the ring to act. But still there could be spies around here...

“No. If you stay, you won’t be safe once out of the arena. Assuming we consider you would be safe inside the arena, which you would not be either...”

Knowing how she was indeed in some deep troubles, Michelle suddenly looked sad. She was remembering her father...

“... In fact, I don’t really care if I’m safe or not... I just want to avenge my father. Then I can die.”

“And what would your mother say? You still have your mother, right? She’s important. Think about her. If you stay, you’ll die and you won’t be able to avenge your father. The best revenge you can have is probably to hide that treasure from Heihachi Mishima. You and your mother must hide. Now you must flee quickly. I was able to find you first but they are everywhere, they know where you stay. Come. I’ll take you to the airport. My car is just parked he...”

Suddenly a masked woman dropped from the roof and knocked out Lee with a drop kick on his head.

“Oh no, you don’t! You won’t take her away from me!”

The masked woman, who was in fact only half masked since her fox mask was showing her mouth, then addressed Michelle:

“Now hand me your amulet and I’ll let you live.”

“Mishima Zaibatsu! I won’t let you get my father’s amulet!”

The masked woman smiled as she showed her hand:

“Yes, the Mishima Zaibatsu, we are very powerful. So hand me that amulet and we’ll let you live!”

“Never!”

Michelle replied with a kick toward the hand waiting for the amulet. The masked woman quickly retreated before she launched at Michelle once more trying to slash her. They then both began to fight.

“Why do you want my amulet so badly?”

“You really don’t know what it is? This thing is worth a fortune!”

The two women fought for a while until Michelle launched herself at her adversary, trying to kick her but the masked woman was faster than her and quickly slashed her, opening a deep gash all along her right leg. Michelle fell down and slid on the asphalt, scratching her left leg as well, unable to get up with her painful wound. The masked woman jumped over her and was about to grab her amulet when she felt something at her back.

“Stop it right now!” suddenly said Lee as he pointed his finger at the masked woman’s back, hoping she would think it was a gun.

Indeed the masked woman froze for a moment and before she would react, Lee quickly tried to knock her out with some karate hit on her neck but before he could touch her, she suddenly disappeared in a flash of smoke. Lee looked around him and didn’t see the woman anymore.

It was the Manji Clan. Lee knew about them since they tried many times to infiltrate the Mishima Zaibatsu’s vault to steal its riches. The security department had all the files on them and the highest-ranking employees also knew about them. That woman was called Kunimitsu. She was the second in command of that group, she was an important member. A dangerous member.

“We have to go! She’s around somewhere”, continued the young man as he turned toward Michelle.

Gazing at Michelle, Lee got slightly disheartened. Michelle’s leg was bleeding abundantly, the gash was large and deep and Michelle could not move her leg anymore. She was groaning in pain as she was trying to press her hands over the wound to stop the bleeding but since it was so large... The asphalt was already full of blood... Too bad for the quick and discreet escape... Lee took off his jacket and wrapped it around Michelle’s leg.

“Take this. Hold it. I’ll take you to my car.”

“I have my stuff at the hotel. I need some bandages, my clothes...”

Michelle was slightly panicked. She was bleeding abundantly, she wanted to go take some of her clothes inside to wrap around her leg... Lee gazed at her wound with some worry as well, it seemed serious... Yet they couldn’t get inside and get the Mishima Zaibatsu on their trace...

“No. The hotel is probably watched. We don’t need another enemy now. Important stuff?”

Lee was trying to help Michelle get up while looking around him in case the ninja reappeared. As Lee was trying to take her toward his car, Michelle wondered if she should trust that man or not. Her father seemed to think he was not evil but... She was in too much pain to think right...

“No... Just my clothes... But no thank. I’ll take a taxi or ambulance...”

“No. I’ll take you to a doctor.”

But then the ninja came back again and tried to slash Lee who swiftly backed away, leaving Michelle hanging against the wall. Before he could come back and kick Kunimitsu, Michelle grabbed the ninja, trying to immobilize her. Kunimitsu quickly freed herself by slashing once more at Michelle, this time, hitting her left shoulder. Yet it gave time for Lee to quickly come with a kick to the ninja’s head and bring her down with his feet. He quickly followed with a low kick trying to knock her out. They fought for a while until, now too wounded, Kunimitsu disappeared once more.

Having lost too much blood, Michelle was now feeling really dizzy and Lee quickly grabbed her to bring her to his car. He helped her get in then quickly took his place and once inside the car, he put his feet on the pedal and the car went full-tilt in a screeching sound. Lee then told Michelle:

“See the blond wig? That’s for you. Please put it on. No one must recognize me with you. They’ll think you’re another woman.”

Michelle then noticed a blonde wig she was half sitting on.

“That’s for me? Ungh…”

Michelle was still looking at the wig he was now holding in her hands when both of them heard a thud on the car roof.

“Drat! She’s there! I just hope they are not all there! Hang on, put your safety belt!”

And going pedal to the metal as Michelle tried to put the safety belt, Lee quickly drove through the small roads until he reached the freeway that was not too encumbered at this hour. Then he started doing zigzags and after a while, he noticed the ninja falling down from the car on the freeway.

“Excellent!”

Yet they had to keep going, so not slowing down, he gazed at Michelle to see how she was doing. She had the wig on but it was quite misplaced with all the zigzags and she seemed in much pain. Lee’s vest was full of blood. He was upset to destroy a perfectly good stylish vest and for some seconds, he also worried about his car seat, hoping the blood didn’t go through and stained the luxurious seat as well. Yet he was more concerned for Michelle who now looked all pale and weak. She asked him:

“...You’re working for the Mishima Zaibatsu, right? But then... ungh... why that woman attacked you?”

“That woman is not from the Mishima Zaibatsu. She is from a group of ninja thieves called the Manji Clan. They often tried to steal from us. She’s called Kunimitsu.”

The fact that Kunimitsu wasn’t at all part of the Mishima Zaibatsu did reassure Lee since he knew she wouldn’t talk about him to his father. On that, Lee was safe. And maybe it could mislead the Mishima Zaibatsu security services once Michelle would be gone... They would think the Manji Clan did it... Seeing Michelle grunting in pain beside him, he asked her:

“Are you okay?”

“Huh... Yeah, but, huh... look where you’re going...”

Michelle was slightly nervous, Lee was driving quite fast and kept looking at her instead of looking at the road. Yet she also wanted him to drive fast since she really felt herself getting weaker with her blood loss.

“Oh right. Put some music on, it may distract the atmosphere. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the doctor soon.”

As he gazed at Michelle once more, he noticed that she now seemed unconscious. Her wig was completely misplaced...

Lee was slightly embarrassed: He had intended to help that woman, tell her to leave, give her some cash, quickly drive her to the airport and that was all... Now he was driving around the city with that wanted wounded woman in his car... Heihachi will probably kill him if he knew... and he had spies everywhere... Maybe he should have argued more to buy the...

Lee gazed at Michelle once more. The amulet was just there. He could take it, leave Michelle to the airport and come back to his father with the treasure... while also saving Michelle’s life... Why not? But it wasn’t right... The amulet didn’t belong to his father but to the Native Americans... To Michelle Chang... Michelle and her family had suffered enough because of it... and he was angry that this treasure had pushed him to corrupt himself in the first place. He would not do it anymore and steal it. Maybe it was crazy but whatever... His father should never have pushed him to corrupt himself... Heihachi deserved to pay... and not get what he wanted for once... Beside Heihachi didn’t even care about him and was playing the Mishima Zaibatsu in that stupid tournament for fun... If Heihachi didn’t care if Lee had the Zaibatsu or not, Lee didn’t care if his father had the amulet or not. In fact he should not have it.

Lee stopped at a small clinic, hoping no one would see them... Michelle woke up as Lee was telling her they were at the clinic. For the time at the clinic, Michelle didn’t put her wig since it didn’t look quite natural when looked at more closely and she looked like she was disguised, looking even more suspicious. As the young woman was being taken care of, Lee stayed in the waiting room, trying to read any magazine that was on the table but mostly worrying if anyone saw them together apart from that ninja. After a while, Michelle got out and had bandages around her leg. She was limping while holding crutches and looked quite sad. The doctor told her some muscles were definitively ripped inside, and she would never be able to fight again and probably not run as fast as before either. At least with some re-education she would be able to walk like before in a matter of months.

Lee helped her once more to the car and they went to the airport. Michelle was disheartened, she was now too wounded to go on and kill Heihachi... and probably would never be able to do so... Lee parked as close as possible from the airport doors since Michelle had to walk with crutches. But fearing some security cameras, he didn’t dare enter with her. Probably no one had followed them here, he did drive for a while... She probably was safe to buy her ticket and would leave soon...

Then as Michelle went out of the car, Lee told her:

“Good luck.”

But Michelle gazed at him with a very sad gaze; she had failed big time. She didn’t avenge her father and she was now pursued, wanted by the Mishima Zaibatsu and that ninja clan for the amulet... Her leg hurt and she couldn’t even walk normally... But Lee smiled at her and told her:

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine, you’ll be okay. Your mother will be happy to see you. Don’t think about any problems and enjoy the trip.”

And he gave her a thumbs up. Michelle slightly smiled back at him and thanked him. He looked at her as she entered the airport before he left in his car. He didn’t want to be seen around here and had to come back home to not look too suspicious.

* * *

The next day...

“Where is she?” asked Heihachi as Michelle Chang didn’t present herself for her fight.

Lee acted all innocently, wondering where she could be, while really hoping that nobody saw him yesterday... Yet Heihachi gazed at him on a slightly suspecting manner. Lee didn’t seem to want to hurt that family back in America, Heihachi always had to repeat him to be more rough with them and now Lee was suddenly acting all angry at them when they noticed the amulet yesterday...

Could Lee really have told Michelle Chang to leave? Yet Heihachi knew that it wasn’t a proof that Lee did it... But he was the first to know about the amulet when Heihachi noticed it... Some others who had been tasked of monitoring her had been told about it sometimes later but Lee really learned it first... If he really did help Michelle Chang, he deserved some punishment... Yet Heihachi had to get the report of all his spies to see if any had seen anything. The hotelier of the cheap hotel where Michelle was staying told him that she didn’t come back at all for the night so she left or hid somewhere, leaving her stuff at the hotel...

Heihachi was almost certain Lee had something to do with Michelle’s disappearance but wanted to get definitive proofs before he would confront his son and somehow didn’t really want to spoil the Tournament. If he really helped Michelle, Lee would get punished later or maybe during their fight together if they confronted each other on the ring. Yet Heihachi kept staring at his adoptive son with suspicion.

Lee, you really think I don’t suspect a thing? Your bad acting didn’t fool me... Oh, but you’ll get your punishment once I’m sure of your betrayal... I’ll make you regret your action... thought Heihachi as Lee was now innocently ordering some drink to the waiter who asked him:

“May I be of service, Lee-sama?”

“Two fingers,” answered the young man, unaware of his father's suspecting eyes on him...


	10. Get ready for the next battle!

Some days after the beginning of the Iron Fist Tournament, Heihachi was struggling with Kuma to put him some red scarf.

"Kuma! Stop struggling! I want you to look your best! You’re going to fight today!"

But Kuma was always trying to take off the scarf and after a while of struggling, Heihachi gave up. To make his master understand he really didn’t like the scarf, Kuma let go another loud growl.

"Fine! Don’t! Now go take your anger on that contestant!" said Heihachi as he pushed his bear outside of the VIP box.

Heihachi went back to his seat while thinking with some regrets that Kuma never liked to wear clothes. His bear probably was already too old when he tried to dress him... He should have begun doing it when Kuma was still a cub... Yet even if he cared for Kuma since he found him as an abandoned cub, he mostly began pampering him when he lost his real family to that Devil and Kuma had just got out of his little childhood... Now Kuma so rarely accepted to wear something... But Heihachi thought he probably looked more ferocious without the scarf anyway...

Having assisted to the scene, Lee thought it was somehow cute that his father always tried to dress his bear despite Kuma not liking it yet it was also upsetting how Heihachi always gave more cares to that bear than to him and Kazuya. Heihachi had never been that thoughtful for them... even when they were children, mostly when they were children in fact since it was then that they would have needed it... and somehow a slight bit of resentment appeared again. But pushing those feelings aside, he then turned his attention to the commentator who was now exclaiming:

"Next contestants: Park Young Tae versus Kuma, the mad bear!"

The crowd cheered as Kuma entered the ring, surrounded by many Mishima guards to keep the crowd safe in case Kuma was aggressive. In fact, it was more to give that impression since Heihachi would never allow the guards to hurt his beloved bear and beside Kuma probably wouldn’t attack people. But after ten minutes, the other contestant had not come out. Then the commentator came and said:

"Due to the other contestant refusing to come thus forfeiting the fight, Kuma is declared the winner!"

Kuma got up on his two legs and put his paws in the air, celebrating his victory while growling in joy. Heihachi was applauding his beloved pet with much cheerfulness when Lee noted:

"Isn’t it cheating? Everybody quit when they know they are against Kuma... It’s the second one to do so."

"I didn’t force them to quit. If they can’t face Kuma, they just don’t deserve the price. I fight with Kuma, they should as well."

"But he loves you, he won’t kill you. He doesn’t hold the same affection for anyone else... He tolerates me, I’m not even sure if he would not kill me in the ring..."

Heihachi violently slapped Lee behind the head.

"Ow!"

"Are you implying that Kuma doesn’t fight with all his might when facing me? That’s insulting!"

Lee had just entered the Tournament on this round and had easily beaten his first opponent but he was slightly nervous to see the number of contestants getting smaller and his chances of confronting Kuma getting bigger... Lee had never fought Kuma and didn’t really wish to, yet if no one wished to fight the bear, he would probably have to... Unless Kuma fell on Kazuya first, who hated him and probably wouldn’t quit but as to know if he would win...

Heihachi appreciated his bear scaring many since it took care of the weak and cowardly ones and if Kuma won the tournament, of course, Heihachi wouldn’t give the Zaibatsu to him. Kuma was intelligent but Heihachi wanted to keep his corporation. Kuma would become some kind of mascot or representative but not the real decision maker. Heihachi would remain the real boss, it was written on the contract... Yet Heihachi thought it was funny how Lee sometimes believed it and reacted to it, he was so naïve...

After this round of fighting, only eight contestants remained: a masked wrestler named King, a fighter named Nina Williams, maybe hired to kill Heihachi who still wasn’t sure of it but didn’t fear her, in fact Heihachi always jokingly said that half of the contestants were here to kill him so... There was also the Russian robot Jack who just destroyed the Prototype Jack belonging to the Mishima Zaibatsu, a masked fighter named Yoshimitsu, who was the leader of the Manji Clan so the Mishima Zaibatsu had put much surveillance over him. As long as he didn’t do anything illegal, he could participate like the others, and Heihachi didn’t consider illegal that he had his sword for the fights, it was okay as long as he didn’t kill with the sword then he would be eliminated while if someone else killed their adversary with a punch or kick, they could go on. Yoshimitsu rarely used his sword anyway. There was also Kazuya Mishima, Paul Phoenix, Kuma and Lee Chaolan.

* * *

The next day, a new round was beginning and the commentator was presenting the first contestants:

"Kuma, the mad bear shall now confront Paul Phoenix!"

The crowd cheered, more or less since they kind of knew what would happen... another fighter to abandon the fight... But then as Kuma was waiting in the ring, Paul Phoenix arrived running toward him. Surprised, the crowd began to cheer and Paul’s gaze illuminated: He was admired by all those people! So he lifted his arms and yelled:

"I’M THE TOUGHEST FIGHTER IN THE UNIVERSE!"

The commentator, excited by Paul’s courage, exclaimed:

"So let’s welcome the hot-blooded martial artist who’s aiming for the top: PAUL PHOENIX!"

The crowd cheered once more while Paul was enjoying his moment of glory. Lee, suddenly worried for his reckless friend, asked his father:

"So, the medics are really close?"

"Yes, they are. I think Kuma will have fun sending that fighter to them. Wa!ha!ha! Poor Kuma must have been bored, no one wanted to face him... It will be fun! COME ON KUMA! DESTROY HIM!"

Heihachi rooted for Kuma of course but Lee was more worried for Paul, they didn’t perfectly get along but they somehow still were friends... He didn’t want Paul to be mauled to death... Why did he accept? Paul was definitively crazy... Yet Paul was indeed a great fighter, maybe he could win... No need to be defeatist already... Yet he didn’t dare yell encouragements to Paul like Heihachi was doing for his bear... Heihachi would not be happy... Beside Paul probably wouldn’t hear them. The cheering was still going on, people were too excited to see that fight man versus bear, they kept screaming like crazy. Lee, still wondering if Kuma really was in the race for the Zaibatsu, hoped Paul would win, he would get some terrifying adversary out of the race and Lee wouldn’t have to face it.

So the fight began and both started hitting each other. They both were very rough and Paul did land some pretty violent hits on Kuma who growled in pain and even fell down sometimes with the force of the strikes. While Lee was sitting, worriedly staring at the fight, Heihachi was standing up, not able to remain in his seat, and still excitedly yelling to his bear while making some punch moves with his fists:

"KUMA! DO A DEMON UPPERCUT! LIKE I TAUGHT YOU! DEMON UPPERCUT! Ugh, he haven’t mastered his technique... He’s too lazy..."

In the end, the fight between Paul and Kuma had been very vicious and brutal yet Paul had managed to take care of the bear, yet not without some big bleeding scratches. But ignoring them, Paul stood victorious and lifting his arms over his head, he yelled, so that everyone knew:

"I AM THE TOUGHEST FIGHTER IN THE UNIVERSE!"

Everybody cheered again. That fight of man versus bear was so special for them. Overjoyed by this, Lee got up and clapped his hands. Not too happy, Heihachi brutally slapped him behind the head.

"Ow!"

Lee cautiously backed away from his furious father and said:

"What? We have to graciously accept the results!"

"Humpf! You didn’t even get up from your chair for the last contestant... You definitively deserve some major spanking after that tournament... Cheeky brat..."

Lee didn’t really know why his father was so angry. Of course Kuma was some major reason but Heihachi seemed angry after him since a while... Did he know about Michelle Chang? Yet he would have told him if it was the case... He did ask him where he was that evening, Lee told him he was with a date and his father didn’t ask anything more.

In fact Heihachi was now wondering. He learned that Michelle had taken a flight back to the United States and also learned that blood was found in the backstreet of that hotel... Type B blood, her type of blood... She was attacked by someone. Maybe the reason why she also left her stuff at the hotel... If Lee had done something, it would have been to help, not wound her... She also had crutches on the airport security cameras, yet they still didn’t know where she was given her first aid cares... But she maybe left because of that attack, not being able to participate in the tournament anymore and not because of the amulet, yet that attack may have occurred because of the amulet... But then who attacked? Yet it was also a bad area with much crime so... it could have been an attack for many reasons... The car that brought Michelle to the airport could not be seen completely, only a part of it, yet it was the same color as one of Lee’s car... yet the image was blurry and there were lots of people, so the details on the car were hard to see... But Heihachi now mostly concentrated the search in the United States since Michelle was the one with the amulet and she had already disappeared in nature when he learned which flight she took. But he also still wanted to know who attacked her... or helped her... that car probably wasn’t a taxi...

When Kuma came back to the VIP box, Heihachi was upset:

"Kuma! You have not trained enough! I told you! But you always sleep!"

Kuma whimpered and went to his corner in shame to lick his wounds while Lee left the VIP box for a while. He quickly went to the contestants’ locker room to find Paul. He couldn’t stop smiling and when he saw Paul, he gave him a thumbs up.

"Congratulation! Excellent! You’re the toughest fighter in the universe indeed! Thank you, Paul! Thank you! You don’t know how great you made my day!"

And Lee was about to hug Paul until he noticed the bleeding wounds among Paul’s already red clothes. Yet Paul didn’t seem to suffer from them too much, he was tough indeed... But Lee didn’t want to stain his elegant clothes so he stopped as Paul replied:

"Thanks. But you still have me as an adversary, and you know that I’m the toughest in the universe. I’m number one."

"Indeed you are. But we will see the results of our fight another day..."

Lee didn’t consider Paul as a dangerous adversary as much as Kuma was. Not in terms of power and strength but in terms of stealing the Zaibatsu from him... As long as any other real contestants for the Zaibatsu were taken out of the competition, Lee was happy. But now, Heihachi and Kazuya still remained... Kazuya was really determined to win since he beat all his contestants quite easily for now. They didn’t quit like for Kuma but some may have regretted not having done so, Kazuya was really brutal and as ferocious as the bear, sending many to the hospital.

Lee didn’t see his adoptive brother in the now much empty locker room but Paul told him that Kazuya came last time when he had a fight, so he would probably come back for his next fight (that Paul hoped would be with him since they had not fought when they met). Apart from Lee who had a private locker room, the only two who never came in the locker room were Yoshimitsu, who always arrived just on time for the fight and disappeared just as it was done and the robot who went elsewhere with his Russian team of technicians. Marshall who had already been eliminated, still came in the locker room to encourage Paul but apart from encouragement and training for both Paul and Lee, he didn’t have anything more to do in the Tournament.

Now that Paul had defeated Kuma, only King who was against the Jack, Nina, who was against Lee, and Yoshimitsu, who was against Kazuya, would fight today. At the end of the day, King, Lee, Kazuya and Paul remained.

* * *

Three days later (since the fights were less numerous, they were more spaced out to give the contestants time to recuperate), Lee was against King while Paul and Kazuya would confront each other. After a hard fight, Lee won against his adversary and it was now the turn of his adoptive brother to fight. Kazuya and Paul would now fight again and resolve this draw they had since years.

Let’s go Paul! Save me from that one again! thought Lee as the fight began. Once more, both Heihachi and Lee didn’t root for the same person. Lee wanted Paul to beat Kazuya and take him out of the way while Heihachi wanted Kazuya to win so that they could confront each other. Heihachi thought that Kazuya seemed in great shape and determination and he was eager to confront him. It took a while to know who the winner was since the fight lasted for hours. What had begun at the start of the afternoon lasted until two a.m. in the morning.

Both fighters were very tired and exhausted but after much effort, Kazuya summoned all his strength and gave one last powerful uppercut to Paul who fell down and this time, didn’t get up. Panting, exhausted as the crowd cheered, Kazuya lifted his head once more toward the VIP box, as he always did, defiantly looking at his father, showing him he was still determined to beat him and get his revenge. Heihachi still gazed back at him with an also defiant look while Lee began to feel nervous toward this formidable adversary that he would have to confront next. Kazuya seemed so much stronger than he was before... So determined... Meanwhile, Paul was taken to the hospital and Marshall left with him. Informing himself, Lee learned that Paul’s life was not in danger but he was suffering from a lot of different wounds and injuries and would probably have to stay many days at the hospital.

As people left the arena, Lee knew he would find Kazuya in the locker room now since he never got to meet him during the Tournament. He wanted to talk with him and get answers despite knowing that Kazuya wouldn’t say a thing. The arena was quickly getting empty with that late hour as mostly only janitors picking up the trash and some Mishima officials remained but after walking in the now almost dark corridors, Lee indeed found Kazuya sitting on a bench in the empty locker room. His adoptive brother was wiping the sweat and blood from his face and looked completely exhausted but he suddenly noticed Lee and, while taking an assured air, trying to hide his pain and tiredness, asked him with a small lopsided grin:

"Came to beg me to not be too hard on you?"

"Oh, please... You’re lucky the fight is not tomorrow. In the state you are, you would lose in two minutes."

Lee slightly bowed to Kazuya and said:

"Congratulation, you fought an excellent match. You also did well with the one with the sword the other day."

"Yes. The sword one wasn’t too hard to beat, he didn’t even use it. But that last guy was annoying. He was not even my real target but probably the hardest wall I had to break to go through."

Kazuya remembered how he had difficulties against that same guy some years ago... Luckily he now showed him... Then Kazuya seriously stared at Lee as he told him:

"Any who gets in my way have to pay. I have nothing against you, you can still quit or I’m telling you, I won’t spare you."

"Hahaha! Kazuya, you’re tough but I’m not that scared of you..."

Lee sat beside his brother and asked him on an inquiring tone:

"But you really came to kill Otousama? No one knows where you reside, you hide when not in a fight? You fear Otousama will try to kill you?"

"He wouldn’t. He organized that Tournament to kill me, not so that one henchman would shot me in the head outside of it. I just want to be alone."

"I know you wont tell me but I came anyway to ask you what is going on between you and Otousama. Why does he want to kill you? What happened?"

"None of your business."

"Why does none of you will tell me?"

"Maybe it’s because you have nothing to do in this?"

"So it’s a ‘Mishima’ thing?"

Kazuya only outlined a smile in return as Lee got up.

"Fine. I’ll leave that between you two. But one thing I won’t leave is the Mishima Zaibatsu. It’s mine. I worked for its success, much more than you, I deserve it. I won’t let you win! I won’t give you any chance! I deserve the corporation and you won’t take it away from me! It’s rightfully mine!"

Too frustrated by the way things were going and in fact really afraid of Kazuya’s fighting talents and determination, Lee didn’t realize how he was sounding like Kazuya in the beginning, not wanting to share any of ‘his’ things. Kazuya didn’t seem impressed and said:

"I told you, get out of the way if you don’t want to be crushed like him."

"Humpf. You underestimate me if you think I will flee before you. But I’ll leave you now. It’s really late, you need your beauty sleep as much as I do. Next time we will meet shall be in the ring but I’m not wishing you good luck. Yet I do wish you good night."

And after politely bowing, Lee left. Kazuya was still in much pain from that fight and even wondered if he should go to the hospital... But his father would learn of his weakness and he would be humiliated... He had to stay strong... Beside he had strengths no one else had that he could call upon... It did help him survive many things...


	11. Sibling rivalry

The next day, Lee was training with Marshall in some dojo (not the Mishima one because Lee didn’t want his father putting pressure on him or making comments or stressing him in any ways) when Marshall told him:

"Are you really gonna confront your brother?"

"Of course", said the silver-haired demon as he kicked the punching bag.

"You know he has beaten Paul... Paul is still at the hospital under intensive cares... Maybe..."

Lee sharply interrupted:

"Maybe what? You’re supposed to train me, not dishearten me!"

"Yeah. Huh... Yeah, you’re right. But..."

"No but!"

Marshall had never seen Lee so tense before. It somehow scared him.

"Okay. You’re right again. Sorry. You can do it."

"So much passion in your words... Go visit Paul. I’ll train alone."

"It’s not that I don’t believe in your fighting chances but I don’t want you to suffer the same fate as Paul..."

Marshall knew that Lee could never beat Paul. No one could beat Paul. Paul was the best. If he got beaten now, Lee had not much chances. In fact, no chances to win. Despite Marshall’s lack of trust in his abilities but noticing his friend’s worries over him, Lee calmed down a bit.

"Thank you for your concern but I have to do it. I’ll lose the Zaibatsu if I lose the fight..."

"Yeah, to play the company is such a stupid idea... Sorry, I didn’t want to insult your father..."

"I don’t mind at all."

Lee was still very angry at Heihachi to have organized that stupid tournament. Right now, he mostly feared Kazuya but was mostly angry at his father. If he lost to Kazuya, he would look like a loser in front of everyone and mostly of his father, who already seemed to think Kazuya would win (like everybody seemed to think, which was very annoying...), and if Kazuya won against Heihachi, he would also lose the Mishima Zaibatsu... Lee then told Marshall on a kinder tone:

"Go visit Paul. I don’t think I need physical training that much, I mostly need to calm down and prepare myself mentally... I’m sorry if I’m not going to the hospital to visit, I’m too stressed out... But I do wish him to get back on his feet soon..."

"Okay. Call me at the hotel if you need some training later. But yeah, I think it’s mental preparation you need. Once you got it, you’ll win!"

Marshall gave a thumbs up to Lee who knew his friend didn’t really believe what he said, not having any great conviction but no matter, what mattered was his own conviction that he could beat Kazuya. And he had to work on that now... Standing by the door, Marshall then added before he left:

"...Beside you do have an advantage over Paul. You know how your brother fights since you fought with him so often..."

Yeah, fought him so often... Lee remembered how he and Kazuya used to be mostly equals in fights. Now he had seen all of Kazuya’s fights during the Tournament and could really certify that Kazuya gained a lot of strength over the years... while he only slightly improved... Lee didn’t really understand: He did train all those years as well, like Kazuya. Why has Kazuya evolved that much in his fighting skills and not him? Maybe Kazuya trained and only did that, trained all day long... Lee had to take care of the business for hours, and then relaxed and enjoyed his rich way of life with parties, dates, going to shows, to the beach... Driving around the city with his car...

Will his way of life be his downfall? Yet the real responsible was still his father, Heihachi, who suddenly decided to play the Mishima Zabatsu... Old fool!

Furious, Lee kicked the punching bag and ripped it.

* * *

The next day, the fight between Lee and Kazuya was now the event of the day. But in the early morning, Marshall went to see Lee and showed him a small bottle.

"What’s that?" asked Lee.

"Laxatives. Put some over your brother’s food."

Lee giggled and said:

"Heavens, no! That’s no way to behave!"

"Even for the Mishima Zaibatsu?"

"Oh, please Marshall! You’re not really serious? You don’t really believe I would use such a way? Your idea is funny but not seriously considered. I do want to win, but I’ll win with my skills! You’re still telling me I won’t be able to win by myself! Beside I don’t even know where Kazuya eats. And I wouldn’t do it. It lacks class..."

"Okay then, tell him things that will make him lose his self-confidence, like I don’t know but you must know his weaknesses... Remind him some very embarrassing moment he had when you were younger. Or tell him he’ll become bald like his father, he will lose his concentration during the fight..."

"I don’t think his hair matters that much to him, mostly right now. He’ll probably become bald in twenty years. I have already prepared something to dishearten him... My entrance will be better than his..."

* * *

That evening was the greatly anticipated semi-finale, the winner would fight the King of Iron Fist himself, Heihachi Mishima. And it seemed it was among both his sons. One of them would already inherit the whole gigantic corporation if they could beat their father. There was a bigger crowd than the other times to see who would go to the next and last round. Marshall came to support Lee but Paul did not. Anyway even if he was on his feet, he wouldn’t have come. He was too angry of his loss and wanted to leave Japan as soon as possible. He also knew that his bruised face would not encourage Lee very much...

As Kazuya came to the ring with no flashing manners or anything fancy (yet still being acclaimed very much for his many powerful performances in all the previous fights and having the usual spots over him like any contestants), wearing his usual white pants and red gloves, remaining proud and determined once on the ring, his arms crossed as usual, Lee, wearing an indigo blue vest, black pants and brown boots, came to the ring acting like a show-off, saluting people as screaming girls were throwing roses and silver confettis at him while some entertaining music was playing. On the ring, he bowed before the audience, saluting them once more in a gracious way, waving at them, giving a show of himself doing acrobatic moves while still being showered with flowers from ladies admirers. He had organized such an entrance, hoping this would give him some pep before the fight and make Kazuya look of less importance...

Quickly gazing toward his father’s VIP box, he wondered what his father was thinking now... Who was he really rooting for? What would he think of him should he lose to Kazuya? He probably already thought his little show was stupid... Beside Lee knew his father wanted to face Kazuya, even if it was to kill him but he somehow didn’t wish for Lee to win right now... Pushing those stressful thoughts aside, Lee turned to the public once more, saluting them as he went into his corner for the fight while doing some backward somersaults. Before the fight, as both were facing each other, Kazuya who still had his arms crossed, told Lee:

"So you’ve come. Too bad for you."

"You shouldn’t take me too lightly. I won’t let the Mishima Zaibatsu be taken from me without a fight..."

"From you... You got a nerve, it’s never been yours and never will be... But whatever. I’m back and I’ll take my rightful place. And my revenge."

Kazuya stared once more toward the VIP box where his father was. He was so close to it... He just had to take Lee out of the way and then revenge would be his...

As soon as the signal was given, Lee ran and threw himself toward Kazuya with a jumpkick while screaming. Not reacting quickly enough, Kazuya fell down but quickly got up. Yet it gave Lee some encouragement; he was quicker than Kazuya, always had been. He could take his brother out if he moved quickly and used his speed. Yes, he could win...

Lee parried Kazuya’s punch before he quickly replied with a quick combo of punches and finished with a spinning kick. Taking the first punch in the face, Kazuya backed away and retaliated with his own combo of punches that Lee parried before he attacked once more. They both punched and kicked, parrying each other for a while, until Lee quickly backed away to avoid some kick attack. Now in the heat of the fight, Lee felt more confident; with his finger, he invited Kazuya to dare approach him, preparing some attack for him...

"Come on!"

As Kazuya launched at him, Lee tried to grab his head with his kick but his brother quickly grabbed his feet first and pulled it violently, making Lee fall down. Kazuya then quickly jumped and landed on his adoptive brother with a powerful electric punch to the stomach. Gasping for air with the powerful punch, Lee quickly rolled away before he got up and backflipped, hitting his approaching brother with his feet before he backed away once more. Kazuya threateningly told him:

"You’re just a spoke that Oyaji tried to put in my wheel... And I’ll break you like a stick."

Lee threw himself at Kazuya once more, trying to repeatedly kick him but Kazuya parried most of his attacks before he kicked Lee in the face, making him fall down. As Kazuya quickly did a somersault, trying to land on his adoptive brother, Lee quickly rolled away and got up. They then both threw themselves at each other once more.

But as the fight kept going, Lee began to tire with his quick attacks. Kazuya was tough and parried most of his strikes while taking the rest with much endurance. Lee thought that with the many beatings Kazuya got from their father, and his new training, he somehow was used and almost immune to pain. Lee knew his punches and kicks weren’t the most powerful, he was mostly fast but Kazuya would probably be more affected if he received some really hard strikes. Yet he was getting tired... Quickly punching Kazuya in the chest, Lee then backed away, taking his breath as Kazuya, who noticed his tiredness, told him:

"I have something that you don’t have. Resilience."

Breathless and being more on the defensive than offensive for now, the silver-haired demon frowned as the black-haired devil smiled. Then the oldest threw himself at his little brother, leaving him no time to recuperate, never slowing down in his furious attacks. They began punching and kicking each other once more as Lee was trying to summon his inner strength to have some offensive power. He retaliated furiously and both fought like demon and devil but in the end, the real devilish one won and sent his adversary on the ground with a powerful uppercut. Lee staggered for a while before he fell face down on the ground. Then leaning over his half-conscious beaten brother, Kazuya grabbed him by the collar and told him:

"Pathetic. I told you not to come. Now get lost, you maggot!"

He then brutally threw him down on the ground again and kicked him in the ribs. For some seconds, Lee tried to get up, but he was too wounded, too tired, too weak... All he could do was look at the pool of blood he left on the ground and groan in pain... Thinking about the Mishima Zaibatsu, he tried to summon his last remaining strength and succeeded in pushing himself up a little, getting on all fours but his vision was now beginning to darken with many black dots quickly appearing in front of him, the loud cheering crowd was making him feel so dizzy... Looking toward their father’s VIP box, Lee was ashamed, he was certain Heihachi was now scorning him, he would probably get scolded but despite having his eyes wide open, he couldn’t see a thing. His vision was completely dark now, the black dots had completely invaded his sight. Lee lost consciousness and fell down on his face again into his pool of blood.

When he woke up, Lee was at the infirmary his wounds being taken care of by the personnel. It seemed to him like only a moment had passed but Lee knew he had been unconscious for at least ten minutes to have been taken to the arena’s infirmary. But if he was taken here, it meant he had lost... He panicked: He had lost the Mishima Zaibatsu... But after a while, he calmed down: He only lost his chance to win it already... Kazuya still had to confront their father... Heihachi was probably the best fighter he knew, so he probably would win... But it didn’t stop Lee from feeling like a loser and fear his father’s scolding. Yet it seemed Kazuya had been gentle on him, not really gentle but he didn’t send him to the hospital like most of his adversaries... Only Yoshimitsu had avoided the hospital since he had seemed to concentrate far more of the defensive than offensive during his fight thus not using his sword. Despite the fight being almost an hour long, Lee thought his own fight looked pitiful and boring for the members of the audience after that many hours long fight between Kazuya and Paul... As some kind of ‘boss’ fight, he wasn’t really proud...

* * *

The next day, Marshall and Paul came to tell him goodbye since they had to go. Paul, who just left the hospital, was still very upset and angered about his loss on his almost perfect score who already had a draw because of that same annoying Kazuya guy and Marshall was worried about his family. And both didn’t really care how it would end since they and Lee had been eliminated. Lee didn’t need training anymore so after wishing him good luck for the control of the corporation and hoping Kazuya wouldn’t get it, they went back home.


	12. Family feud

When he returned to the VIP box, some days later, Lee was quite ashamed of himself. Heihachi, who had not deigned speak to him all this time since his defeat, told him on a scornful tone:

"You should have stayed hidden. You disappoint me greatly. You only deserve punishment for that lame performance... Once the Tournament is over..."

Heihachi had also some news about the Michelle case. They had also found in the backstreet some slight drop of type O blood and some type A blood, Lee’s blood type. Someone said they saw a car matching the description of Lee’s car in the area... So Heihachi began once more to suspect Lee of having betrayed him. He ordered to inspect Lee’s car behind his son’s back for any hints about it and to analyze that blood’s DNA. Lee remained troubled by the harsh welcome as Heihachi continued speaking:

"You told me last time that you had a date with a woman the day Michelle Chang disappeared. But someone saw your car on the freeway with a blond woman inside your car but also a woman over the roof."

Beginning to smile, Lee replied:

"Really? I’m more popular than I thought! Wow, women jumping over my car... I hadn’t noticed..."

"Stop kidding! What was that exactly? What happened?"

"Well I think the one kidding is the one saying there was a woman over my car roof... That is such an absurd assertion..."

"Some other witnesses saw it as well."

"Well, then it wasn’t my car. I would have known. Beside why would Michelle Chang or another woman jump over my roof? I hope you don’t really believe this story? It’s ridiculous!"

Heihachi thought that since his American stay and mostly since he came back now, Lee seemed far cheekier than before. He would never have dared answer back before... He definitively deserved that major spanking. And right now. So he moved toward his son and before Lee could do anything, he grabbed him and began to violently spank him.

"Ow! Why are you punishing me? Ow! I told you I have nothing to do with this! Ow!"

"No, this is for your insolent way of answering me! You’re not being respectful enough! Since you came back you’re acting in such an impertinent way! And it’s also for losing the fight!"

Trying to disengage from his father’s extremely strong grip, Lee kept protesting:

"I’m twenty-five years old! Ow! I don’t need spanking!"

Unable to free himself, Lee hoped no one was actually gazing at their VIP box. At least the VIP box was high and they were mostly at the back right now...

"You’re still my son and even when you’ll be fifty years old, I’ll still spank you if you deserve it!"

Having punished his son enough, Heihachi then threw Lee on the floor. He didn’t have any more time, he had to prepare for his fight against Kazuya, that other rebellious son... Much more rebellious son... The truth about Lee and Michelle Chang shall have to be uncovered later... Pointing a finger at Lee, he then told him:

"Now I’ll show you what it takes to be the real King of Iron Fist!"

Heihachi left, leaving his even more troubled son in the VIP box with Kuma who was quietly eating some meat.

* * *

The finale’s opening was far more spectacular than any other fights. Once more like for the first opening, many fireworks were displayed as both the contestants walked toward the ring under the many spotlights. People were cheering and yelling, expecting a spectacular fight between the father and the son. As they walked toward each other, Kazuya once more didn’t show much emotion except determination and hate as he glared at his loathed father who also looked quite determined. This time no need to gaze toward the VIP box where, for painful physical reason, Lee was still standing up while Kuma had exceptionally now taken his own seat, which he never did before, to look at his beloved master’s fight. This spectacular entrance didn’t really lighten Lee’s mood who seemed sad as he asked Kuma:

"It feels bad not being there, right? We could have won..."

"Grrroarr... Grrrr... Rooarrr…" (Now you think about how I feel for my loss... You never seemed concerned for me before you got beaten... You even smelled hostile toward my wins sometimes...)

"What do you think Otousama will do now? Do you think he will punish me more? Do you think he will kill Kazuya?"

"Grrooarrr... Grraaoorr... Grrr…" (If you betrayed him, yes, he’ll probably punish you. I don’t trust you. And yes, he’ll kill that monster who smells so evil... I really hate him... I wish I could maul him... But I wouldn’t eat him, yeurk!)

Lee didn’t understand what Kuma was saying but the bear didn’t seem really friendly right now so he stopped talking to him and looked at the fight. Anyway he didn’t even know why he addressed him. He was probably feeling lonely... and Kuma probably didn’t really answer like he seemed to have done... He was probably just telling him to shut up...

* * *

Meanwhile Heihachi and Kazuya were now face to face. Despite trying not to show it, trying to look calm and scornful as always with his crossed arms, Kazuya was now boiling with rage and Heihachi was not trying to cool it down with the arrogant expression he was now showing to his son.

"What’s the matter, Kazuya? Scared?"

"Humpf."

"You have so much conversation... As always. I thought that after, what? Five years? You’d have something to say..."

"I hate you."

Heihachi smiled at him and said:

"I hate you too. Well, shall we begin?"

Heihachi gazed at the commentator who quickly gave the starting signal for the fight. Then the father told his son:

"Don’t worry, I’ll be quick with your death!"

Heihachi launched at Kazuya and they began to punch and parry each other. The fight was full of electricity surges coming from both of them and they fought for many hours but after a while, Heihachi began to have the upper hand. His far more years of experience were showing over his son who began to feel like when he was a small child, getting beaten by that brutal and heartless man who was supposed to be his father. Kazuya was feeling confident in the beginning of the fight, he had beaten everybody else along the way, most very easily, but was now losing that confidence as he remembered how that monster Heihachi used to scare him and hurt him... As he kicked him in the chest, Heihachi told him:

"You’re weak! You came back too soon! You should have come back when you were ready to fight!"

Kazuya fell down on the ring as his father laughed:

"Hyahaha! No one can defeat me!"

Kazuya got up and tried to kick his father but the older man quickly grabbed his feet and while still holding it, kicked him back instead, making Kazuya lose his balance and fall on the ground once more.

"I’m disappointed, you didn’t improve much, Kazuya... You looked better against the others..."

Kazuya glared at his father before he quickly got up and tried to hit him.

"Doruya!"

But Heihachi once more parried his son’s powerful strike before he retaliated with a double kick in the air hitting with one feet after another. He then grabbed Kazuya and brutally slammed him, head first into the ground. As his son was still dizzy, Heihachi quickly jumped on him and began to punch his face. Blood came from Kazuya’s mouth, nose and even from the many bruises his father was giving him. One of his eyebrows was full of blood going into his eye and Kazuya felt some panic at the fact that he would not be able to beat his father once more. In fact it felt more like despair and hate. He had to kill the old man! He lived only for that! He had to avenge his beloved mother! Avenge himself! And maybe even his grandfather... That monster couldn’t remain unpunished for his crimes!

As Heihachi was now overpowering his son, sitting over him and punching him non stop while smiling cruelly, Kazuya suddenly grabbed his father’s shirt, screamed loudly and bringing Heihachi toward him, slammed his bloodied head over his father’s chest as if he did a headbutt, yet it was not only a headbutt; Kazuya had decided to invoke the power of Devil and as he was very close, a third eye appeared on his forehead and shot his father in the chest with some kind of beam coming out of it.

With the closeness of their bodies, the crowd only saw some kind of light, yet since those Mishimas had some electrical powers and were using it since the start, they didn’t think it was anything more than something like that. But Heihachi suddenly grabbed his chest in pain and fell down from Kazuya, surprised and even scared by the devilish attack. His chest was burned, a slight smoke was still apparent and it hurt deeply but Heihachi was now more worried of the fact people could have seen what happened, he still wanted to hide that shameful secret to the world... He gazed around in worry before he quickly kicked back his son who was now jumping on him while doing a somersault. Despite not wanting to, Heihachi was deeply troubled and afraid by what just happened. Getting up and backing away, he muttered to his son, who had quickly turned back to normal after the hit:

"Damned Devil..."

Satisfied by the fear he now gave his father, Kazuya smiled and said:

"Humpf. That Devil will kill you. You’ll go to Hell now, Oyaji... You deserve it..."

But those words only infuriated Heihachi who summoned his own power. Even more electricity appeared around his fists and screaming in rage, he stomped the ground and hit his son with a powerful punch, sending Kazuya in the ropes. Kazuya fell down and almost slid out of the ring. Holding his painful chest wound, Heihachi smiled in satisfaction before he began to walk toward Kazuya to kick him in the face.

Yet that devilish beam he took in the chest seemed really painful as Heihachi kept grunting in pain at each moves he was doing, it was somehow weakening him... Kazuya got up and parried his father’s attack before he kicked high in the air and slammed his foot on Heihachi’s head, sending him straight on the ground. Heihachi painfully got up and quickly parried his son’s next attack before he replied by throwing Kazuya on the ground. They fought for a long time again but people could now see that Heihachi seemed clearly wounded and in pain yet they could not see the wound since it somehow was hidden by his half opened shirt.

After a while, Kazuya sent him on the ground and Heihachi almost fainted. Yet with a surge of electricity, he found the strength to get up and go on with the fight for a while but Kazuya furiously attacked again and with a powerful kick, he sent his father to the ground once more. Looking at his suffering father with satisfaction, Kazuya thought he would not get up but Heihachi grunted in pain and got up once more. Kazuya growled in anger and quickly went toward his father, spinning as he gave him a kick.

Grabbing his father, Kazuya tried once more to hit him with his beam but before he could bring him toward him to still hide that attack, Heihachi struggled to get free. Yet Kazuya was satisfied; he could feel the fear and panic his father was feeling. Heihachi normally always was so confident but now he was losing some of his self control... It was the first time he was experiencing Kazuya’s devilish powers... Kazuya exulted and smiled in satisfaction and Heihachi noticed it. The older man told himself he had to calm down or he would lose to that Devil...

* * *

Staring at his father getting beaten, Lee was quite surprised, he had never seen his father looking so weakened... or even apparently... scared? What happened? Kuma, also noticing it, furiously roared as he slammed his paws and large body into the bulletproof window of the VIP box, trying to break it and jump into the ring. Yet the window was made to resist even a tank shell so an angry bear was no match for it... Yet Lee also got scared by Kuma’s attitude and decided to discreetly leave before Kuma would decide to take the door. As Kuma was still distraught by his beloved master’s beating, Lee went out by the door and locked it behind him. As he feared Kuma’s reaction toward him, he also feared Kuma could get dangerous for the crowd...

Lee walked toward the ring to get nearer and see the results of the confrontation more closely. Apparently Kazuya was winning the fight... Heihachi the invincible fighter, as Lee always knew him, was losing... How come? What happened? Lee was troubled, somehow he didn’t really believe what was happening. His father, getting beaten... He also thought about another very disturbing fact... He would lose the Mishima Zaibatsu...

When Lee arrived just beside the ring, Heihachi was still getting beaten by Kazuya. Despite trying to, this time, he could not reach his inner force, too dizzy, he fell on his knees and would probably have fallen face down if Kazuya had not kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling on his back. After two seconds on his back, Heihachi grunted and tried to get up but Kazuya ran to him and violently slammed his foot in his face.

"Will you STAY down? Die! DIE!"

Then taken by some frenzied rage, Kazuya began to kick and punch Heihachi who was already down. The older man had now lost consciousness since a while but Kazuya kept on beating him. Blood was spilling everywhere and people began to think the fight should be interrupted, beside it was over now, Kazuya had clearly won. But it seemed that the Mishima Zaibatsu wasn’t the only thing Kazuya wanted. He wanted Heihachi’s death more than anything.

Lee assisted to the beating and somehow didn’t really know what to think... He wasn’t sure if he felt much sadness for his father. There was something slightly satisfying into seeing his father getting beaten... After all Heihachi had done to Kazuya or even to him, or to so many people, he deserved that beating... Lee also thought his father may know all about Michelle with the many allusions to punishment he made all along the Tournament and that last conversation... Heihachi was getting very suspicious... Maybe Kazuya’s victory saved him from some severe punishment... worse than that spanking he just received... Yet it didn’t save him from losing the Mishima Zaibatsu...

Too shocked by what was happening, Lee didn’t react or gave any orders to the Mishima guards and medical personnel who passed by him to go on the ring to try to stop Kazuya who seemed determined to kill his father, never stopping from beating him. Right now, they knew better than him what to do...

Kazuya was still hitting his father when some guard told him that he had won the Tournament. He first didn’t seem to have realized it since he was too furious against his father but as he was being told, he began to realize all the consequences of his victory and his usual lopsided grin appeared once more as he calmed down. He now had the power of the Mishima Zaibatsu, he had won... He lifted his arms into the air and the crowd cheered over his victory. Kazuya enjoyed the feeling of total victory he was now experiencing and closed his eyes in happiness thought one was already forced close with the blood that leaked over it... He had gained his revenge and power...

After a moment, Kazuya had completely calmed down and let the medical personnel take away his almost dead father on a stretcher as the crowd kept on screaming and applauding. As his adoptive father passed beside him unconscious on the stretcher, Lee stared at him with a distressed look, almost teary eyes, some people would think it was for seeing his father in that state but in fact, still angry at his father, Lee was sad because he had lost the Mishima Zaibatsu...

Kazuya was exulting over his victory but Lee was definitively not. Kazuya had just stolen the Mishima Zaibatsu from under his nose... But being diplomatic and polite anyway, he got over himself and went on the ring to congratulate his older brother as his position required. Beside, he had to keep his job... Kazuya would probably make some rearrangement in the personnel and Lee intended to still have a good place. After all he was his brother, he knew the corporation very well, he deserved some high position... He also was full of debts, he had much to pay: His new car, his five credit cards... Inside Lee was boiling with jealousy but what could he do? He had lost the fight and didn’t want to lose even more...

Lee went to Kazuya and bowed down to him.

"Congratulation, Kazuya. I recognize you as the King of Iron Fist and new CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu."

Using some towel a nurse had given him to wipe the sweat and blood from his face, Kazuya, now seeing with both his eyes, looked at his younger brother and only replied a small:

"Humpf."

Then added:

"You came to beg?"

Lee thought that Kazuya was annoying with his begging allusions... but he took an assured tone and replied:

"No. I did not come to beg. First, as official representative I came to tell you that the official ceremony for the Mishima Zaibatsu’s hand down shall take place tomorrow at the office. It would have been Otousama who would have taken care of this but it seems he won’t be able to do so for a while, so in case of some problem, I had been appointed to do it. But I also came to offer you my assistance. I know much about the Mishima Zaibatsu, you have been missing on it since quite a while. I can help you in keeping up with the progress it made since your... huh, disappearance."

Kazuya had been once again scornful toward him but somehow Lee didn’t mind that much. At least, Kazuya didn’t hate him like he hated Heihachi, Lee didn’t try to kill him like Heihachi had, and he was among the few who had not been sent to the hospital, meaning Kazuya had not specifically intended being too hard on him, so he probably had a chance to get good relations with him again. Somehow all that happened, all his troubles with Kazuya since childhood happened because of Heihachi’s mistreatment of his son, because of Heihachi’s dirty schemes to pit them one against another. Lee was now blaming everything that happened on their father while now welcoming back his brother. Once the crazy father out of the way, maybe they could finally act like real brothers... Lee always wished for a brotherly relationship, maybe it was still possible... Still crossing his arms, Kazuya listened to him with his normal stern face and replied:

"Indeed. You know much. Fine. You’ll be among those I will think of when I reshuffle my office staff."

"You won’t regret it, Oniisan."

Kazuya made a small lopside grin at the familial mention and Lee didn’t know if it was that he liked being called like this or if he thought that Lee was now being a suck-up to him since Kazuya often called him like that when they lived together. But then he was to Heihachi...

Suddenly Lee and Kazuya heard something. Now that the crowd had calmed down it was more noticeable; Kuma was still growling in anger and distress in Heihachi VIP box, still trying to break the window. The bear seemed completely distressed over his master’s brutal beat up and his transport to the hospital. Lee asked:

"What will you do with Kuma?"

"Get rid of him."

At first Lee thought that Kazuya wanted to kill him. After all it was a wild animal, only trained by Heihachi... Kazuya already wanted to kill him since a long time... But Kazuya added:

"He belongs in nature. He will be happier in the woods."

Lee never was close to Kuma, he even often feared Kuma’s violent attitude. It would have been sad but somehow expected if Kazuya had wanted to kill him, they probably wouldn’t keep him at the mansion for the time Heihachi was at the hospital, Kuma would try to kill them and Kazuya had now complete control of the area, the corporation, the mansion, so he had control over Kuma as well... Yet he was pleasantly surprised that Kazuya seemed to have some heart now... He wasn’t as bad as he remembered... Maybe he changed with his time out of the crazy family. Definitively, they would be better without Heihachi... He smiled at his brother, gave him a thumbs up and added:

"Excellent!"


	13. At the office

Some times after the tournament, Kazuya had completely reshuffled his personnel as he had said. But Lee was quite upset, Kazuya didn’t give him any prestigious position. He was only Kazuya’s personal secretary and assistant. So he was typing, answering the phone and welcoming the guests. Serving Kazuya’s coffee wasn’t exactly part of Lee’s ambitions... Kazuya didn’t even ask him advices on the business or some up to date... He only asked reports and looked at them alone in his office.

But despite being frustrated over his unfulfilling position, Lee didn’t hate Kazuya who was not acting too badly toward him now... Probably because Lee was now his subordinate, as Kazuya always considered him... Presenting him as a servant in school, then always telling him that he wasn’t a real Mishima... If Lee was his underling and knew his place, it was fine, he could treat him somehow ‘kindly’. So for now, Lee was only trying to do his job, trying to look at the bright side and was quite friendly with everyone.

Yet it was still insulting and it wasn’t the joy for Lee, who for some years, had thought of himself as future CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu and had lost it all in one evening... And with the position he now had, he didn’t know if he would inherit should something happen to Kazuya. Yet Kazuya had no heir, so maybe he would... He may not occupy the second highest position but he was his brother... Yet with their small age difference, he could not really count on old age to take Kazuya as it would have been the case with Heihachi. Kazuya should give him some more important position... But it was not against Kazuya that he had the biggest grudge but still against his father who often treated him in humiliating ways, who forced him to do things against his moral sense, who never was satisfied of him and who decided to make that stupid tournament where Lee lost it all.

And now hanging more with his adoptive brother, both were somehow incline to setting each other against their father, remembering what he had done to them, rekindling their resentment toward him. And Kazuya made Lee realize even more that he had been taking too much humiliating abuse from Heihachi. Lee had always felt stupid, nervous and fearful with his father. He knew he was talented in many things but Heihachi never made him feel like he was and sometimes it pushed him to think as if he was like his father told him he was. Kazuya was self-assured, Lee admired him on this. Kazuya always had such determination... He had been through so much and survived... Lee somehow forgave the rude behavior sometimes coming from Kazuya since he told himself that Kazuya had experienced so much mistreatments in his life that he somehow was pushed to act like this. It was still Heihachi’s fault.

* * *

Two weeks after the Tournament, still hoping to get more, in both his relation with his brother and his position at the Zaibatsu, Lee tried to make new ties with Kazuya by inviting him to play bowling with some employees. After handing him some reports, Lee told him about the bowling games held each Fridays.

"So what do you say, Kazuya? Do you want to come and play with the employees tonight?"

"I don’t have time for this."

"Come on! It will be fun and relaxing!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I have work to do."

"You can take a break! The files will still be there when you come back! Just for an hour or two!"

Kazuya sighed before he asked:

"Why do you need my presence?"

"We could make teams and fight as brothers. We always were pitted one against another, this time we would team up to win! It would be great! Besides making ties with employees guarantees their devotion toward you and the company. So it’s not completely a waste of time."

Kazuya was slightly surprised by Lee’s eagerness to play with him, his adoptive brother seemed sincere in his invitation, so he said after some hesitation:

"Fine. I will take a break."

"Oh, Excellent! We will have such fun, Oniisan!"

Kazuya still wondered why Lee seemed so enthusiastic but followed him to the company’s private bowling alley. Maybe he should indeed get to know some employees as Lee said... Lee knew them more and knew how to act with them while Kazuya was still acting like a recluse in his office...

"The pins are quite ugly", said Kazuya as he suddenly noticed the Heihachi head pins.

"Hahahaha! Indeed but won’t it be satisfying throwing balls at them?" answered Lee to his adoptive brother who then gave him one of his rare friendly smile.

The game then began. Lee and Kazuya were on the same team and Lee was very happy: They made a great team... Even an excellent team and Kazuya somehow seemed to like that game...

While playing, Kazuya thought indeed that he should try to socialize more. Since his ‘death’ he had always wandered alone, speaking to no one but for fighting purposes... To succeed in business, he had to be less withdrawn... He somehow envied his adoptive brother who seemed so at ease with the employees...

Lee was now encouraging his brother who seemed very good at the game. Very good at throwing things at Heihachi...

"That was excellent!"

"Ooohhhh, Excellent!"

"Excellent!"

After a while, Kazuya was now slightly irritated by Lee’s enthusiasm and excitement. Will he ever shut up? Kazuya almost wanted to lose so that his annoying brother would shut up... Or to throw his bowling ball at Lee’s silver-haired head... It was fun winning with him but to hear his annoying ‘excellent’ at each successful ball throw was becoming kind of redundantly exasperating... And couldn’t Lee take winning without jumping everywhere in joy? And have some more dignity? He almost fell down while jumping around, clumsy clown...

* * *

Yet Kazuya kept on playing with his brother for a while but like always, they didn’t get along for very long and their bowling duo quickly faded to oblivion... Mostly when Bruce Irvin came to the Zaibatsu... While on a mission looking for animals for some experiments in the Mishima scientific department, Kazuya and his team had found him, wounded and unconscious after he survived a plane accident in the wilderness. There were no other survivors. Helping him and taking him back with him, Kazuya got along very well with Bruce and they quickly became friends. Having followed Lee’s advice, Kazuya had indeed decided to be more sociable and was now speaking more with the employees and people. And comparing Bruce to Lee, Kazuya appreciated his less flamboyant and more serious personality. It was not his fault but Lee was annoying, Kazuya thought that despite knowing him since a long time, he had nothing in common with that eccentric weirdo. They just didn’t have the same kind of personality or interests... It seemed that Bruce had much more in common with him than Lee ever had.

But Lee didn’t really like Bruce. He was jealous of him. Somehow Lee had hoped to have that brother relationship he never had with Kazuya and now his adoptive brother was spending much more time with his new friend than with him. Kazuya smiled much more easily with Bruce than with him... Kazuya and Bruce always spent much time fighting in the Mishima dojo and Lee thought that maybe he should have invited Kazuya to fight instead of playing bowling... But he didn’t want to be reminded or remind his brother of when their father pitted them one against the other with all those fights... He wanted to do something more teamwork-like with Kazuya... Maybe the fact Heihachi made them start on a rivalry relation destroyed any chances they had to really get along...

Kazuya and Bruce really seemed good friends, so good friends that Bruce had also successfully convinced Kazuya to give money to some anti-bullying children cause after Kazuya had previously cut all the generous contributions to good causes that Heihachi was giving in the name of the Mishima Zaibatsu when he came in power. Somehow Lee was thinking that it was good for Kazuya to have a friend that may be a good influence but he still was jealous to be left aside. And good influence, Lee wasn’t so certain of it either. Despite being sensible to children causes, Bruce was also some kind of tough guy and Lee knew that Kazuya was using him for some violent deeds since Bruce was now the leader of the Mishima militia. And Lee knew that Kazuya was using the same kind of modus operandi as his father was, bullying and scaring people to comply... So Bruce wasn’t an angel either...

Kazuya had hired some close personnel for different jobs like being his bodyguards or doing special operations... and he was far closer to them than to Lee. Mostly with Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams whom he considered his closest friends. But while Bruce never addressed a word or a smile to Lee, who was just ‘the secretary’, Anna was much more friendlier. She came to him one day having noticed the sadness he was trying to hide over being left aside and started joking with him in a flirtatious way. Not being insensible to her charms, Lee responded in a flirtatious way as well and they became friends.

As they got to know each other more, Lee found one thing that he had in common with Anna was that sibling rivalry... Lee knew a lot about Anna and Nina’s rivalry since Anna was often talking about how she hated her sister. It seemed her sister, her older sister was their father’s favorite while she was ignored and even scorned by him... She really wished that her father would have given her more attention... Yet now her father was dead, Anna even thought that Nina probably killed him since she feared their father would give his younger daughter some attention or something, Anna didn’t really know the reason but Nina must have had one... In fact she didn’t even know if it was Nina who killed him... She only had suspicions. But she knew the feeling of being left aside and had felt bad for Lee while also finding him quite cute... And she thought that maybe they both reacted to being ignored by developing their more flamboyant personality... She did love to wear exotic or sexy clothes and mostly act sexy in front of men... She loved their attention...

The sibling rivalry sounded familiar to Lee even if it wasn’t exactly the same case for him and Kazuya... None of them really was the favorite of their father like Nina was... Or since they were treated differently, it was hard to tell who was... Maybe him? But Kazuya was the ‘Mishima’... Maybe none... Or Kuma. Yes, Kuma was the favorite child.

But Lee did sympathize with Anna and appreciated her very much yet he knew that she was probably closer to Kazuya than to him and sometimes wondered if she was friendly with him just to try to get some confession from him to tell Kazuya so that was why he never confided anything to her, only touching superficial subjects, joking and flirting and didn’t go on about his personal grievances over his own brother. Beside right now, the relation between him and his brother wasn’t too bad... Disappointing but not hostile...

Yet Lee was curious about something: Anna was hired by Kazuya as both his personal bodyguard and special operation agent. He was trying to know what was Anna doing exactly by special operations... He had a feeling it wasn’t too good... Assassination? But he never got any proofs in any files he took care of and Anna never told him... Yet. He would know one day, he was certain his charm would work on her...

Not telling any of this to Lee, Anna was indeed doing assassination for Kazuya after she came to prevent her sister from killing him since after Nina’s failure to kill Heihachi, the blond assassin was once more sent by the same rival group to kill the new head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. And Anna liked nothing more than to oppose her sister and provoke her failure... Kazuya, being grateful for her help since she saved his life, hired her as one of his bodyguards.

* * *

Anna was now sitting on Lee’s desk as the two were talking.

"... I was surprised when I learned that Tom and Jerry was known here in Japan. I thought it was a occidental thing. But then again we also had animes in Ireland."

"I did see some episodes of Tom and Jerry. I did not see much episodes though. I didn’t have much time with the studies I had to do. I also had to learn Japanese and Tom and Jerry was not the anime where they talk the most so it was not as helpful as some others..."

"Ah. But at least even if you didn’t understand Japanese at first, you could understand the story. It’s international cartoons. Like Esperanto, except in Tom and Jerry language, slapstick."

"Yes, but when he was inside, Kuma always came to watch the cartoons I was watching so I preferred not to watch too much cartoons... Kuma was scary, when he heard cartoons, he would bang at my door until I opened so that he could come inside and sit in front of my T.V. But then I could not move or make any sound or Kuma was getting angry that I was distracting him from the cartoons and growled at me."

Anna stayed mute for a moment before she said:

"... So... as you told me, Kuma is not a dog? It’s a bear? Living in your house? Watching cartoons?"

"Yes."

"You’re crazy. I don’t believe you."

"But it’s true. I would never lie to you, lovely Lady Williams... Ask Kazuya, he will confirm."

Still not believing Lee, Anna said:

"If your bear really was getting angry and if had gotten excited by slapstick jokes like me and Nina, you would be dead... Our parents always had to tell us to calm down because after each episode, we began fighting and screaming. And breaking things around us..."

Suddenly Kazuya opened the door of his office and said:

"What are you two doing? Lee, get to work! You’re not paid to flirt with the personnel! You still haven’t given me the last report on the annual shareholders meeting."

"I finished it, it’s there", said Lee as he showed some papers on the corner of his desk.

He was about to give it to Kazuya once he finished talking with Anna but it seemed Kazuya was not patient enough... Anna got up the desk and walked to Kazuya. She then told him on a sensual voice as she moved in a teasing way in front of him:

"We were discussing serious things... not flirting... this time. Discussing about bears and Tom and Jerry is not flirting... Despite being handsome, you’ve never seen much flirt in your life to compare Tom and Jerry to that, have you?"

Kazuya made an annoyed and maybe slightly embarrassed face then addressed Anna on a cold tone:

"You have been given your assignment."

"Right away, boss..."

She then addressed Lee:

"Now Chaolan, be a good boy with your big brother, he’s counting on you..."

Then Anna went away toward the elevator while walking in a sensual manner as if all the men’s gazes were on her. Lee was indeed staring at her and before the elevator door closed, Anna blew a kiss at him. The silver-haired demon smiled back at her before Kazuya rudely interrupted by dropping a big pile of paper on the desk in front of Lee.

"Type this, pervert. I want it all done by tomorrow morning. Type all night if you must, but do it."

Lee looked discouraged by the work it would imply and said on a not too enthusiastically tone:

"Excellent..."

And after picking the annual shareholders meeting report, Kazuya went inside his office without a word but still frowning as always. Lifting his head, Lee thought that he’d better start typing if he wanted to finish one day...

Four hours later, Lee was still typing. He had not stopped since Kazuya gave him the work and he had only done about a sixth of the work, he knew he would have to remain all night at the office to finish it.

He finally wondered who was worse: His adoptive father who kept insulting and scorning him, never giving him any encouragement or his adoptive brother who almost never smiled and always gave him tons of work. He had hoped that with Kazuya he would have gotten a better job than he had with Heihachi but in fact it was worse. Heihachi did give him prestigious positions... At least, Kazuya was maybe more respectful since he didn’t laugh at him or humiliate him... They did have some nice times... yet he did treat him quite rudely and without any name calling (at least most of the time) he did show him some scorn... At least, Heihachi was more cheerful... yet so insulting... Whatever, both were quite annoying pains... But Lee wanted that relation with his brother to work and always tried to compare it favorably with his father’s relation that was also quite messed up... He sighed. He had to endure all this in hopes of getting the Mishima Zaibatsu one day or at least get some better position...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tekken Tag bowl pins are made like some Heihachi heads so it's the Mishima lane that is being used here.


	14. Heihachi's return

A month and a half after the Tournament...

Lee was doing his work and was still typing... Kazuya always gave him so much work to do... Lee had the feeling he was the only secretary of the corporation, typing everything that needed to be typed... He was so tired... But as he was typing, he suddenly heard the elevator. Looking toward it when the doors opened, Lee gasped in shock; it was his father Heihachi!

"Otousama! How did you get pass security?"

No one ever came here without being announced by security (and most were stopped by them)... But Heihachi answered:

"As their old CEO, many have respect for me. And those who didn’t, I had very good arguments."

Heihachi showed his fist, some electric lightning was running through it.

"I showed them that I recovered well..."

"I’m happy to see that you got out from the hospital", said Lee as he got up and slightly bowed in politeness. But Heihachi became angry and pushed back his adoptive son.

"Don’t play hypocrite with me, acting all concerned and pretending like you’re the devoted son! If you had come one time to visit me at the hospital, you would have known I wasn’t there anymore!"

"Where were you?" asked Lee, a little perplexed.

He did send a get well card... But no one notified him that his father had got out... Beside Heihachi was supposed to be comatose, no need to visit... They didn’t notify him either on this... Though he never asked them for any of this, he just assumed they would... and he didn’t really feel like visiting his father yet...

Heihachi remembered how he woke up in that same ravine he had thrown Kazuya twenty-one years ago. He guessed very easily how he ended there... That Kazuya... He probably came to the hospital, grabbed him and threw him while he was still comatose into the ravine. Of course no one at the hospital did anything, it was between the Mishima Zaibatsu leaders, you don’t interfere with that... They were like yakuzas, even more dangerous... So Heihachi had lied down there for days, first unconscious, then unable to get up, still too weak, while it was almost raining everyday... But his burning desire to get revenge on Kazuya had kept him alive and gave him the strength to climb back after many days.

"Humpf! Like you care... You betrayed me, you ungrateful brat... I know you joined Kazuya as soon as I was gone! You crawled at his feet and sucked up to him without any dignity! You were supposed to be rivals! Don’t you have any pride?"

Lee was insulted by his father’s rude answer and replied on a cold tone:

"That’s what you wanted us to be. It seems it didn’t work. Kazuya won the Tournament, he won the Mishima Zaibatsu in all fairness. I have been loyal to you but you played the Zaibatsu, I just did what I had to. I didn’t suck up to him, I just remained loyal and dutiful to the corporation."

"Loyal? Humpf! You never were trustworthy. You betrayed me and played behind my back... You only told me lies about the night Michelle Chang disappeared... So, traitor, you really think you’ll gain more with Kazuya? You don’t seem to have such prestigious position right now... You’re happy being his pet? When I take back the Mishima Zaibatsu, I’m making you the janitor since you like being stepped on."

Unlike Kazuya who always quickly responded aggressively to any provocations from his father, Lee had mostly always been the obedient kid, taking everything without a word, respectful of his adoptive father. But now Lee was tired of his contempt. Gazing at his father with resentment, he answered on a bitter tone:

"It was you who decided to play the Mishima Zaibatsu’s fate on some tournament, don’t blame me if you lost it... I did many things to please you, things I didn’t approve of! Yet you kept insulting me, never being satisfied of anything and now you say I never obeyed you? And if you wanted me to choose you even in your downfall, you should have acted a little bit more kindly and showed that you cared for me. You should have stopped taking me for granted! You should have realized that I was worth something!"

"Kazuya doesn’t realize it either with the position he gave you. You can’t realize something when it’s not true. Since your first day in Japan, when Kazuya had beaten you, I knew that I had picked the wrong boy. You turned out to be nothing more than a disappointment. I gave you worthy positions, you ungrateful little brat, but you never showed great talent in any of them. You always turned out to be a disappointment, I don’t see why I should be surprised that you turned out to be one today... If you want to take his side, then you’ll both be destroyed. Now take me to him!"

Still gazing at his father with resentment, Lee said:

"He’s really busy right now, he has a lot of work to do. He doesn’t have time for..."

Angry by his father’s insults, Lee tried to pick an insult but couldn’t find any since he was too outraged. He only finished by saying on a scornful tone:

"You."

"I know the work he has to do. If you remember, I was the head of the corporation just a month and a half ago. And I had time to meet my visitors", answered Heihachi as he sat in one of the chair in the room.

Lee gazed angrily at his father. Will he stay here until he is able to meet Kazuya? Having enough, Lee said:

"... Well then... Maybe he can receive you..."

"Of course he can", replied Heihachi as he smiled in an arrogant way, taking his ease on the chair.

"Wait here, I’ll go see..."

Still furious but trying to cover it under his professional attitude, Lee went to Kazuya’s office and said as he entered:

"Kazuya-sama! Heihachi Mishima wishes to see you. How would you like to proceed?"

Kazuya was slightly surprised but he knew that if he could get out from that ravine, the old man would come to bother him, so he said:

"Bring him here."

Lee bowed and said:

"Right away."

Lee went outside and still speaking on a cold tone to his father, he said:

"Kazuya will see you."

Heihachi got up and made another arrogant smile to his adoptive son while he entered. Lee closed the door behind him, leaving the father and son together.

The Mishima patriarch addressed Kazuya on a cheerful tone and said:

"Waiting for me? So I’m right on time for my appointment!"

"Yes. Your appointment for funeral arrangements. Which funeral service you want, Oyaji? We’ll organize this today."

"Probably the same you’ll take. But I’m not in a hurry to make any arrangements for me. We’ll just take care of yours for today. It’s your turn. Yet right now, I’m here for something else..."

Then suddenly looking quite angry, punching the desk with his fist, sparking electrical lightning, he explained his reasons for being here.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH KUMA?!" screamed Heihachi who yelled so loudly that he could be heard by Lee outside even if the office was soundproof.

"What do you think I would have done with him?" sternly answered Kazuya, looking unimpressed by his father’s anger.

While still looking furious, Heihachi’s gaze suddenly showed the worries he had for his beloved bear. That devilish monster must have shot him dead! Or gotten rid of him some other way, maybe thrown a cage with Kuma in the sea where the poor beast died drowning, he may have found any cruel ways but he killed poor Kuma!

But then Kazuya added on a sudden nonchalant tone:

"I sent him back in the wild. To the native forest of his species..."

After a moment of deep surprise at his son’s good action, Heihachi began to relax when Kazuya added with his usual lopsided grin:

"You better hurry. Bear hunting opens today."

Heihachi’s face turned into a grimace of anger:

"Why you, little monster..."

Still smiling, Kazuya said:

"I organized a hunting trip for my two hundred employees of Hokkaido prefecture. They win prizes for the one who will kill the most bears."

Cursing, Heihachi quickly stormed out of the office and went to the elevator while pushing on the down button with frenzy. Kazuya followed to the door of his office to savor for as long as he could his hated father caught in deep panic over the safety of his beloved bear. Kazuya was crossing his arms, his lopsided grin never fading as the older man was cursing and worrying over his bear, when Lee casually said while sitting at his desk and still typing:

"It will take a while. Someone just took the elevator to go to the fifth floor..."

They were on the 54th floor. Heihachi glared at Lee who gave him a small taunting smile in return. Still crossing his arms, Kazuya had walked beside Lee and both brothers were looking at their father with that amused expression that enraged Heihachi to the highest point. Heihachi turned toward the elevator door and tried to ignore their mocking stares by crossing his arms and standing proud. He had to go find Kuma as fast as he could, no use killing them both right now, it wouldn’t save Kuma from his troubles... Before he entered the elevator that finally came back, he gave both his sons a look full of intense hatred and went into the elevator.

Once Heihachi was going down the elevator, Lee remarked:

"He’s never been worried like that for any of us... Remember when we both got that virus and got sick and feverish for a whole week? He called us weaklings and never called any doctor. He never even came to see us in our room."

"He did come see me."

"He did?" asked Lee with a slight bit of jealousy in his tone.

Lee remembered how he had been alone in his room all this time, he was so sick, he could barely get up to go for a glass of water in his bathroom. Heihachi didn’t even send anyone to help him... and the intercom didn’t even work...

"Yes, but he never did anything to help me. He came, looked at me and left. He didn’t even give me any medication or cares."

Kazuya then added on a resentful tone:

"I think it was purely sadistic pleasure."

In fact, even if that very virulent disease seemed to have originated from school since half of the students got sick, Heihachi often came to see if Kazuya would transform into a Devil like Kazumi did after her feverish episode. It was then that she attacked him and he had to kill her... Maybe the fever, coming from anywhere, could be a trigger for that Devil transformation, so he came to see his son and wondered if he should kill Kazuya already or not. Kazuya never noticed, Heihachi didn’t have any medicine on him but he had a gun... Since nothing of the sort could happen to Lee, Heihachi just didn’t care about him. The servants were ordered to bring food daily to both the brothers but being scared to catch the illness, they only left some food outside, at the bottom of the boys bedrooms’ closed door. Kuma came and ate it all, leaving nothing for the sick boys and deceiving the servants into thinking the young masters had eaten their meal when in fact Lee and Kazuya didn’t even notice the food and starved all week until they felt a little bit better and decided to go to the kitchen themselves. Lee changed the subject and asked Kazuya:

"And what have you done with Kuma to make him so upset?"

"As I told you. I released him in the wild."

"And what’s the trick? You did something..."

"Me? Nothing. I just released him in the wild", innocently said Kazuya while Lee didn’t believe him. Yet he didn’t really care about neither Kuma nor Heihachi so he didn’t try to know more and went back to his typing.

Kazuya then went inside his office and closed the door. Then some moment later, Kazuya called Lee by the intercom and asked him:

"Arrange for an appointment tonight with Anna Williams and Bruce Irvin. I want to talk to them about their next vacations..."

He closed the intercom, made an evil smile and muttered:

"Their Heihachi hunting vacations..."

While he just gave the bear hunt signal for his Hokkaido employees now, having waited for his father’s return before doing so, he also intended for Anna and Bruce to go after the biggest game...

* * *

During the meeting, Anna kept picking chocolate from Kazuya’s snack table. She seemed a little curious as she asked Kazuya:

"Hum... Is it true that your family had a bear who stayed at home?"

"Indeed."

"... And who also watched cartoons?"

"That is what Lee told me. The bear, Kuma, never came to my room, he hated me. Beside I had installed some device, a crossbow, to kill him should that monster enter my bedroom. I almost killed Oyaji with it, sadly it missed and he wrecked my crossbow with my head. I rebuilt it but now Oyaji knew about it and always avoided it but his stupid bear never came. Yet Lee complained so often about the cartoons thing that Kuma probably really watched them in his bedroom. But no need to know everything about that bear, I want you to kill him. And the old man that comes with it. Kill them once and for all. Bruce, take your men, your guns, Anna take your bazooka and have some fun. You may take photos of your trip, we’ll share them later together."

Some hours later, after the meeting, Anna and Bruce got out of the office and Anna said to Lee, still with some astonishment:

"You were right for the bear..."

"Have I ever lied to you, lovely Lady Williams?"

"I think you did many times, but I won’t have to spank you for it this time, Mister Lee Chaolan…"

Lee started to blush and giggle in embarrassment as both Kazuya and Bruce stared at him. Still crossing his arms, Kazuya told him:

"Oyaji’s frequent punishments really messed you up..."


	15. Jun

Lee still couldn’t get over the fact he had lost the Mishima Zaibatsu...

Since then everything went wrong, he had a worthless job, no prestige, no free time... and Kazuya always ignored him... in both friendship or promotion. And with all that his father told him last time, he knew that they would never work together now... But was that fact a too bad side? Not really, yet it did pain him to hear his father tell him all those things to his face... Somehow it did affect him to have all ties with his father suddenly cut... even if there probably never were any ties... But maybe it was still the failure of never having succeeded to make any ties with his father that made him feel bad about it... Like when he felt regrets to never have a successful brother relationship when Kazuya ‘died’... Lee didn’t really know what it was but it did affect him... Somehow Kazuya had supported him as they teamed up against their father last time but still, something was broken... Lee even wondered if he was having a depression... He tried being happy but it seemed sadness always came back...

There were tough changes like his loss of the Zaibatsu and his broken relation with his father and some depressing things that remained the same, like the way he was taken for granted and not really respected. And to go back to the same depressing mansion each evening... That place mostly had bad memories... and wake up to go to work... In fact, everything was depressing... After almost two months, Lee had lost all his enthusiasm, he didn’t want to do anything. He couldn’t event miss work, his boss was living with him...

Maybe he should go see some friends or go dance to some discotheque or something... but he was working so late that he was too tired when he finished his work... Anyway he didn’t even want to meet his friends... He always told himself that maybe he failed being friend with Kazuya who picked his own friends (and who probably would have been boring anyway) but he had his own friends as well... Yet he just didn’t feel like going to see them... And tell everyone he was a loser; he lost the fight, the Zaibatsu and his more prestigious job...

As both brothers came back home in their limousine, Lee was half depressed, half sulking as he often did. At work, Lee was trying to hide that beginning of a depression he was feeling but in the limo or at home, he didn’t hide it.

Yet Kazuya didn’t seem to care at all.

Kazuya didn’t care and never asked him what was wrong. Like Heihachi, Kazuya kept working on the way back to home and was never speaking to him. One day, Lee decided to do something about it and suddenly told him. He had let his father step on him too often and if he let his brother do the same, he would end up being not respected at all. If none of them would give him what he wanted, he had to impose himself more and take it.

"I think I should get a promotion."

"What? Why?" asked Kazuya who was slightly surprised by the sudden demand while lifting his head from his laptop.

"I can do better than a secretary job. You make me type your business deals and all but you never confide anything to me. I never get to have the complete file on anything. I can’t give you an opinion on anything, I don’t entirely know any files or it’s already done."

"I never asked for your opinion anyway."

Lee was insulted.

"But I’m your brother, I know how the business works! I oversaw to a lot of things when you were gone. I also took care of the American side when Otousama sent me! I rose to some very important positions!"

"And you failed. You couldn’t even retrieve some simple research papers..."

"Okay, I failed that simple task but the whole company was fine. Those notes were not the most important thing! The Mishima Zaibatsu American branch made gains when I was there! (Mostly when Lee began to use Heihachi’s methods though...) I should have more important duties to take care of! You only make me type business letters, basic files, answer the phone and serve you coffee! I’m worth more than just being a secretary! You’re wasting my potential! In a full two months of working for you, you never gave me anything else!"

"I bet you never harassed Oyaji like this."

"He was our father, I owed him respect."

Beside he already gave me more prestigious positions, thought Lee.

"And I’m your boss, so shut up. And respect for Oyaji... Peuh!"

"...Indeed... I should never have obeyed him as much as I did... But technically, a son is supposed to respect his father."

Lee still regretted how he let himself being dragged into corruption by his father. But still Heihachi was his father, Lee felt he owed him respect then (maybe not lately...) and his father did give him really good positions...

"Not when the father doesn’t respect the son. Then that’s called sucking up."

"Whatever. Why don’t you give me some more important position?"

"It takes more than sucking up to me to get something from me."

Insulted and falling even more into depression, Lee thought that it was no use insisting and gave up.

* * *

A week later, a woman came to the office. She politely bowed to Lee:

"Konichiwa…"

"You have an appointment, miss?"

"Kazama Jun. Yes, at 10 o’clock. With Mishima Kazuya."

She then added, a little embarrassed:

"Of course."

Of course it was with Kazuya Mishima. Was it really important that she be more specific? The secretary probably already knew who she had to meet since he was Kazuya Mishima’s personal secretary... But Jun was more at ease with walking the wood and going through nature, not bureaucracy and all those things, so she didn’t really know how to present herself... Yet Lee wasn’t minding her trouble and was already looking on his computer to see that appointment.

The WWWC official of the wildlife protection organization as noticed on the appointment sheet... Somehow meaning Kazuya really did something bad to Kuma... Probably... Yet Lee was surprised that Kazuya accepted to meet with her, he normally scorned every complaining organizations and left the complaints to his lawyers to handle them... But it seemed he accepted to receive the WWWC official... Lee looked at her: She seemed kind and was probably a good person yet he knew that Kazuya will probably insult her and send her away in a humiliating way... It was the only reason why Kazuya must have accepted to meet with her... To signify their father how he didn’t care for his complaint or something... She will certainly not get what she came here for...

Feeling a little bad for her, Lee politely smiled to her and went to announce her to his boss. Kazuya told him to let her in, so slightly bowing to Jun in politeness, Lee told her:

"Kazuya Mishima is waiting for you. You may enter."

"Arigato. By the way, you have a nice unicorn statue", said Jun, who decided to not mind the business social ways and to see persons for what they were: persons. She felt more at ease that way and since she was psychic sensitive, it was easier to feel the persons’ emotions as well. But of course, she would remain polite, it was really important but just not get blinded by it. Not get too impressed by the Mishima Zaibatsu’s prestige and reputation.

"Really? Oh, arigato!" answered Lee who was glad someone appreciated the decoration on his desk, his lovely pearl white unicorn with many roses in its purple pastel mane.

Kazuya always said it looked ridiculous and Anna thought it didn’t look very manly even if she added that it was cute... Bruce never said anything but Bruce being the manly man, Lee knew what he thought of it... And the others all looked at it like if it didn’t belong there. But of course, being a WWWC officer, Jun Kazama loved animals, even the imaginary ones... Yet it was kind of her to say so... She did have that serene aura making Lee feel better...

Then Jun entered Kazuya’s office as Lee closed the door behind her. She walked to the giant desk where Kazuya was waiting for her.

"So, my father complained to you about me?" said Kazuya as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

To know that the former powerful Heihachi had to go crying to some animal defense organization for his beloved bear was quite funny to Kazuya... To know the details of it, Kazuya had wanted to see by himself the officer of the WWWC wildlife protection organization who would come for his father’s grievance about him... and feel his father’s distress by interposition...

"Well, he has every right to complain about your unjust treatment of animals. You had no right to organize such a hunt", calmly answered Jun.

"I’m sorry, but this is one the few places I still could organize such a thing. I really looked at the law... even though the Mishima Zaibatsu doesn’t have to obey the law..."

"You have to obey it as much as anyone else."

"I’m surprised by your fearlessness. Not many would come and tell that to the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, even if it’s the old CEO sending them. But I’m still telling you, this area is not protected by the law."

"But still there are seasons for this. And it’s not now."

"Oh? My mistake..." said Kazuya on a detached tone. "But I told you, I can do whatever I want."

"So you really want to do that hunt? You really want to kill that many bears? Or even your father’s bear?"

"You didn’t ask, or my father himself. He would be my best trophy in fact", said Kazuya still smiling in an evil and amused way.

Not certain if it was a joke, Jun stared at Kazuya for a second. She felt he was telling the truth... as she also began to feel much things as well... This man was strange...

"You... hate your father that much?"

"Yes", said Kazuya as he crossed his arms, his smile slightly fading away.

"Why?"

"I guess you never realized it since he always gave much money to your organization, acting like if he was a good man but once you get to know that ‘good’ man, you realize he is the biggest monster of all..."

Sensing from the tone of his voice that he seemed to have suffered much, Jun now felt some pity for Kazuya. Being a really strong psychic sensitive, she could somehow feel his pain... She then told him on a sad tone:

"He did hurt you very much..."

"And I hurt him back now. I don’t need your pity, I just need to make him suffer."

"Hum. But is it really necessary for the bears to be hurt and the unwilling victims of that settling of scores? Even your father... despite what he may have done, revenge is not the answer..."

"There is no other way to deal with such a man", sharply answered Kazuya.

Jun noticed that Kazuya seemed really closed on that subject and she somehow felt something very evil around him as well... But that evil was not him, not the anger and hate he seemed to harbor toward his father... Another entity was with him... What was that? That thing was probably more harmful to Kazuya than even his father... She then answered:

"It’s not with him that you must deal with but with yourself."

Kazuya was surprised by her reply.

"Myself?"

Kazuya wondered what Jun was talking about. Was she lecturing him to be good if he wanted people to be kind to him and all those stupid things? Was she getting moral on him? He was offended. Yet he also felt something very strange about her... Something calming... Something appealing... Not only her stunning beauty that he had noticed since the start and that slightly troubled him but something else... Yet despite the positive part, she also had something more troubling around her as well... Not only did she somehow inclined him to speak more than he intended on his relationship to his father, but he had the strange feeling that she could read his soul and see his Devil side but it could not... Before he could reply anything more, Jun continued:

"All the pain you felt, all the sadness you lived... that is what is still hurting you now. Let go of that. Your father may have been the trigger of that pain but what you bear in your heart is the element hurting you right now. You always keep on your guards, never letting anyone near you... Your crossed arms show that you try to protect yourself... even now..."

"No. It’s just an habit", sharply said Kazuya while keeping his arms crossed.

"An habit you took to protect yourself."

"No."

Kazuya thought she was mistaking, he didn’t try to protect himself, it was really just an habit of doing it... But not wanting to look weak or scared, he uncrossed his arms.

"You feel uncomfortable with your arm opened now, right?" asked Jun on a soft tone.

"No. Beside we are not here to talk about my arms. I organized that hunt and its perfectly legal, just pretend it was organized a little sooner or later, whatever season is required and you have nothing to do here anymore."

Kazuya crossed his arms once more before he quickly uncrossed them. He did notice that he really was used to crossing his arms since he didn’t know what to do with them when they were not crossed... But he thought that this woman was still mistaking on the reason.

"You’re trying to protect yourself from me, aren’t you?"

"..."

Kazuya thought that it wasn’t exactly the case. Finding someone annoying and fearing someone was not the same thing... Yet she did have that aura... But he still wasn’t sure if he feared it or felt attracted to it... Jun continued speaking:

"I beg you to stop with that hunt. I know you are not like that."

"Like what?"

"Kazuya-san, can I call you like that? You should stop making walls in front of you to protect yourself. Some are not helpful and while you think you are protected since people fear you, you in fact are luring even more enemies who will try to stop you, who will feel threatened by your attitude. If you really were a bad person, I would not address you in such a way but I know you are kind and I want to help you..."

Kazuya thought that he should be insulted by such a person... He didn’t need any psychologist... or moralizer... But her tone... The way she behaved toward him... Jun seemed somehow protective like his mother and grandfather were. She seemed kind with him, Kazuya was not used to such attitude now and somehow felt awkward. He was not used with people being kind to him, when they were, he pushed them away... She was right, since his mother and grandfather’s death, he had always pushed back everybody... Not many tried to be close anyway but the few who did, he pushed them away.

There were some exceptions like Bruce and Anna but still... he always kept some barriers... and anyway they didn’t try to be that close, they also kept some barriers... Even Anna, with her flirting habits, never tried to seriously seduce him... Some compliments sometimes to which he always remained cold and that was all... He knew she wasn’t seriously hitting on him. Anna was beautiful and interesting but somehow he never felt how he was feeling with that Jun Kazama right now... He wanted to flee that both comfortable and uncomfortable position...

"... I had not expected... someone like you. You somehow sound like my mother..."

His mother was one of the few who told him he was a kind person... Who had faith in him... The only other who did was his grandfather and it was so long ago... Having someone having faith in him was somehow troubling him but also making him feel better as well... Kazuya was slightly perplexed... He didn’t even know her, she was a stranger, why feel so confused around her? A part of him was angry at that and wanted to throw her out of the office yet maybe it wasn’t a part of him... but the ‘other’. Trying to ignore that part, he told Jun:

"I... organized that hunt for... to annoy my father but... fine I will stop it. I’ll call them right away if you want proofs."

Kazuya called his Hokkaido department and told them to stop the hunt. The best way to get out of that awkward situation and to make her and him feel better was probably to call off that hunt. She would be satisfied and would leave him alone. Once the call was done, Jun smiled and told Kazuya on a grateful tone:

"Arigato..."

"Kazama-San, I really don’t know how you convinced me but..."

Jun was standing before him and Kazuya felt slightly shy. She was so beautiful... Was it the reason he accepted to stop the hunt? Love? It could not be... Yet she also had that aura, that so calming aura... He both felt shy and serene with her, even if that... part of him was furiously screaming inside. Kazuya smiled at her in a kind way and asked her:

"Are you happy?"

Blushing, Jun softly smiled back at him and nodded. She felt he had pushed back that evil she was sensing inside of him... She was right, he could be saved... And he was so handsome when smiling that way... Like Kazuya told her, she didn’t expect someone like him either...

"Yes. Arigato. But I hope you are as well."

"No. Just to know the old man still walks around freely and gets his will done... But you are right, the bears should not suffer for it..."

Except Kuma, but Kazuya didn’t tell Jun. He’ll probably die when Heihachi will be killed. He didn’t ask Anna and Bruce to stop... Yet he did love Jun’s gentle gaze over him now...

Some moment later, Lee saw Jun coming out of Kazuya’s office. She seemed happy and gently smiled at him before she went to the elevator. Lee wanted to ask her what had Kazuya done to make her come here, was it really about Kuma and if everything was fine now, but as his secretary job required, he had to be discreet, so he said nothing and only smiled back at her.

Meanwhile Kazuya was confused: He felt something about her... Was it love? She was so mysterious... She had something inscrutable about her...

Something inside of him told him that he had been had by that woman and he was weak but something else was making him feel so calm, so serene and happy... Since his mother’s death, he had never felt that serene... Why did he let Jun Kazama go? No, he had to let her leave, she was a weakness... He didn’t want to have anything to do with her... Torn between two different opinions, Kazuya didn’t know what to think and stayed sitting in his seat, somehow feeling relaxed... Maybe he had been had but right now it wasn’t that important...

* * *

The next day, as he came to pick some files that Lee had finished working on, Kazuya told his little brother:

"Will you always put a flower on your suit? You look like you’re at some reception... not like you’re working in a business."

"And you look like a vampire", swiftly replied the insulted Lee to Kazuya who was always wearing some old fashioned tuxedos.

Even if it was not something to say, Kazuya had not meant to say his remark on a aggressive way but right now, Lee was taking everything in the worst way. He was angry that his flower was attacked, it was somehow the only thing giving him some joy around here, that and his beloved unicorn statue... But Kazuya didn’t take the reply badly. In fact, he thought that it was funny.

"Hahaha... Though I didn’t think it would be vampire that would be mentioned..."

Surprised by his brother’s sudden lighthearted mood, Lee lost some of his aggressiveness and replied on a witty tone:

"Oh, really? What would it be then? And technically, I’m at a reception, your office’s."

Appreciating Lee’s reply, Kazuya pointed his finger at his brother while genuinely smiling at him.

"That’s a good one..."

Then he went in his office. Lee was surprised, he had never seen Kazuya smile for that long... Kazuya seemed in a very good mood today... Or was it a clone of Kazuya? Probably... Kazuya has been abducted by aliens and they put a clone in his place... But seriously, maybe he’ll be able to ask him for a longer pause... or even a promotion?

Yet Lee didn’t have the occasion to do so since Kazuya quickly left twenty minutes later to go to some reunion that would last some days outside of Japan. He hurriedly said good bye to his adoptive brother (what he normally never did either) and left. Lee sighed, the aliens probably called him back...


	16. Mishima Heavy Industries

Some days later, Kazuya who came back from his trip, asked Lee to come to his office. As he entered, Lee noticed that Kazuya didn’t have the same happy mood that he had last time and looked serious like most of the time. Yet he didn’t look angry either at least.

"What is it, Kazuya-sama?"

"Well, I remember how you complained about your job, how it’s not fulfilling or prestigious... Since you did well in your work and you seem loyal, I decided to appoint you some better position. As long as you know your place and serve me well, I’m ready to reward you as you deserve."

My place... thought Lee with some resentment. Kazuya always think of me as lower class... At least with Heihachi, I was considered his son, I was more respected somehow... Reward me as I deserve... I should have had much more than what I had... I should have much more than what he probably will offer me...

Lee was still frustrated that he could have been in Kazuya’s seat right now if he had won that stupid tournament and would still have a prestigious position if not for that stupid tournament... so he was also still angry at his father for doing such a stupid move. Kazuya continued to speak:

"I know your interest in science, mostly robotics."

Lee suddenly listened with interest, wondering where Kazuya was going with this, while his brother continued speaking:

"I still don’t understand why Oyaji never gave you that position. I guess he didn’t even know about your interest in robotics... You were nothing to him, you’re only an adopted child after all... So I’m not surprised that he never cared about anything you did."

"Can we stop talking about him?" asked Lee on an annoyed tone.

So Kazuya only called him to insult him through their father? Lee thought he had enough, he had to get out of the room... Better position or not, he could not take any more of this or he would start to cry, or punch or whatever... Noticing his brother’s eagerness to leave as he was almost getting up from his chair, Kazuya continued to speak on a neutral tone:

"But having gone to the same school as you, I noticed your interest and all those weird looking mini robots you were building during extracurricular activities."

After a moment, letting Lee calm down and sit back, Kazuya went to the point:

"You know the Prototype Jack we created from the stolen files of the Russian government?"

"... Yes, but I had not seen it until the Tournament since I was in the United States. And I didn’t see it for long since it got destroyed by the Russian Jack. But I would..."

Kazuya interrupted him:

"Well, we now gained the help of the renowned Russian scientist Doctor Bosconovitch. So we decided to rebuild the robot and make it even better. I thought you would be able to take care of that and supervise the project. Yet since the doctor did not join quite... willingly, you’ll also be in charge of keeping him around."

"He was abducted? Or blackmailed?"

Kazuya smiled and said:

"First one."

Lee seemed troubled: To abduct people, mostly scientists, from other countries, furthermore from Russia, could have lots of consequences... The Mishima Zaibatsu was powerful but still... He knew Kazuya was still doing a lot of illegal things but now his adoptive brother just casually told him right in the face... In terms of morality, Kazuya was no better than their father... Noticing Lee’s trouble, Kazuya then asked him:

"You have a problem with that? If not, you’ll be supervising the whole science department of the Mishima Heavy Industries. Doctor Bosconovitch works on various projects, robotic, biogenetic... You’ll have to supervise them."

"The whole science department?"

"Yes. Well, most of it. Some experiments are still restricted and top secret to most, even you, for now. But you’ll get full pay as the head of department gets. So, what do you say? You want that position?"

Lee thought that it was maybe not morale but very interesting... To work in robotics... and other things... Beside he already began corrupting himself with his father, now that it was turning fun, he wouldn’t refuse... Of course, he would incriminate himself more with abducted people but his brother finally gave him something prestigious and interesting... To be the head of the whole science department of the Mishima Heavy Industries... Wow... Maybe Kazuya was not so bad after all... Well he was bad, abducting people and all but maybe he wasn’t so bad with him at least... Moved by this generous offer, Lee almost wanted to hug his brother but he didn’t want to be killed, so as if answering a marriage proposal, he simply said:

"Excellent! Yes, I accept!"

The next day, Lee went to the Mishima Heavy Industries complex. When he entered inside, he felt so at home somehow... The sound of the robotic machines and all that technological ambiance... He was so excited...

Having put his most elegant suit to make the best entrance, he went to meet the Mishima Heavy Industries executives’ board and asked them about the researches and the scientists. He did get a little frustrated when he learned of some experiments that even himself couldn’t know more about but Kazuya had already informed him of this, so despite being a little frustrated, he knew they could not talk to him about those experiments. Whatever, he still had so much to discover and see around here!

Then he met with the scientists, bowing down or shaking hand and asking how they were doing, giving each a little box of chocolate like he did for all employees to celebrate his coming. He really was in a mood to celebrate since this position was a much more interesting position than that boring secretary job he just left... After meeting all the others, he went to see the most important scientist, the one Kazuya had especially assigned him to: Doctor Bosconovitch. Yet meeting him was troubling Lee a little since, contrarily to all the other scientists (that he knew of, at least), Doctor Bosconovitch was forced to work here... A little box of chocolate probably won’t make him feel that much better...

Meeting with the doctor, Lee politely bowed to him and bowed a little more than to the others to somehow signify his apologies since he was feeling guilty. The doctor didn’t know much of those Japanese customs but he knew that the employees had to bow even more than the employer, so feeling a little troubled by this, he tried to bow more than Lee was and suddenly unable to stay up, his back hurting too much, he fell down. Lee quickly helped him up and asked him if he was alright:

"Are you okay?"

"... Yes, thank you. It’s just that I’m not used to bowing down that much... I have scoliosis, a disease that affects my spine, so..."

"I’m sorry if I forced you to bow down that much, I didn’t mean for you to do so as well, I was mostly... apologizing for... how you came here. So you did not have to bow back to me."

"I’m sorry if I do not know all the customs of your country, I thought I had to bow more since I’m the employee."

"No. You didn’t. I had to apologize. I still have to apologize for the incident. Here are some chocolate to show the Mishima Zaibatsu’s appreciation for your contribution... If you ever need anything else, just remember that we will do anything that is within our power to accommodate you. You are a guest here, despite the forcible invitation..."

The doctor took the chocolate box, looked at it and said:

"Thank you... That’s very kind of you... I suppose you want to visit the laboratory? I have many experiments that I have already began in Russia..."

The doctor then began to show Lee many of his inventions that were brought here by the Mishima Zaibatsu when he got abducted.

"This is the cold sleep machine..."

After a moment of silence, the doctor continued speaking while looking sadly at the machine:

"... I had made it to preserve my daughter Alisa until a cure would be found for her illness but I never got to finish it in time..."

The old man suddenly seemed overwhelmed by sadness.

"... A-Alisa died... Just two months ago..."

Doctor Bosconovitch now had teary eyes. He suddenly looked weak and, fearing he would fall once more, Lee went to help him standing up. The doctor apologized:

"I’m sorry... I didn’t want to get so emotive..."

"You don’t have to apologize... You’re living something very hard... The loss of a child must be the most horrible thing a parent could live..."

A normal parent, not Heihachi, thought Lee but he continued consoling the scientist. Or mostly listening to Doctor Bosconovitch’s confidences.

"I will sound strange but somehow, I’m relieved that your organization abducted me... Maybe the change of environment will help me cope with her death... My poor Alisa was still only a teenager..."

Doctor Bosconovitch seemed to remember his daughter fondly as he melancholically smiled...

"She used to dress in quite eccentric ways, both in her hair and clothing style but she was the kindest person in the world... An angel..."

Yet the doctor didn’t tell more since he was always getting emotional when talking about his daughter, he still couldn’t get over her death... Tears were now rolling down on his face... Swiftly wiping them, the doctor turned his head toward Lee and said with a shy smile:

"You know what I like when I feel too sad? Vodka. That’s the best remedy. I drink and I drink until I forget... Then I don’t forget but I feel a little better... or I fall asleep..."

"So... You need vodka? Now?"

The doctor made a shy smile again and replied:

"It would be appreciated... I don’t always drink but at those times..."

Lee was already ordering some vodka for the doctor on his phone.

"Thank you... Don’t worry I won’t work if I’m drunk... And I’m not always drunk... If fact not often... Well, not too often..."

Doctor Bosconovitch was still wiping some tears away as Lee reassured him.

"That’s fine, we all need time to relax... I heard you liked to play chess? Would you like to play with me? We will see the rest of the lab another time."

Lee tried to calm doctor Bosconovitch by distracting him from his pain with the chess game. Sometimes it was good to speak about sad things but sometimes better to leave it behind and think of something else. Doctor Bosconovitch seemed quite happy of the proposition and accepted. After some times of playing chess and some vodka drinks, Doctor Bosconovitch asked Lee:

"Your hair turned white quite young... How old are you? Still in your twenties, I guess? How old were you when you began having white hair?"

"I was born like this."

"It’s probably caused by a lack of melanin... Your skin is not like an albino but it’s still quite pale... Or maybe a vitamin B12 deficiency... Or is it malfestation?"

"What’s that?"

"Oh, a sickness that existed in the medieval and renaissance times... It would supposedly be eradicated now, but many ‘malfested’ had white hair and pale skin... Many also had red eyes..."

"That completely sounds like albinism, I suppose people at the time confused those things, like vampirism and lycanthropy... I don’t remember the real name for those two afflictions but whatever... They were illnesses that had nothing to do with vampires and werewolves."

"I don’t know... Malfestation supposedly was contagious... Not like albinism..."

"I don’t think I’m contagious... I never gave my white hair to anyone..."

"I don’t think it’s that either. Yet it did look like... A friend of mine even told me that malfestation was supernatural..."

"All those supernatural things probably don’t really exist... I thought my house was haunted for years, and in fact, I still do sometimes, I have seen some weird things going on there but it probably is just the spooky ambiance of the ancestral house or something... There is probably a rational explanation for any strange cases that happens..."

"There are a lot of things still not known or acknowledged by general people or science. Yet we must not push those hypotheses away even if they look weird... It’s not because I’m a scientist that I know everything... In fact, I know more than others that we all know nothing... Ah, check mate!"

"Hum. Indeed. Well, it was an excellent game!"

Realizing that Doctor Bosconovitch was beginning to be quite drunk, Lee thought it would be better to leave him alone now that the game was over. The doctor did not seem sad anymore now so Lee politely told him that he had to leave and after making sure the doctor was okay, Lee left his quarters to go home. To that creepy mansion... Yes, the Mishima mansion was definitively scary...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, it's not a Soul Calibur crossover, just a little friendly mention. After all it is somehow related...


	17. Discoveries

Lee was now working at the Mishima Heavy Industries and helping Doctor Bosconovitch with his researches. When not drunk because of his sadness where he was becoming more talkative, the old man was mostly quiet and Lee always tried to accommodate him so that he would feel at ease and not like a prisoner and so that he wouldn’t feel too mournful.

Lee was to supervise the whole department but he also personally helped the doctor with his researches and the Prototype Jack project greatly interested him. He was always there when the doctor was working on it. Somehow it was Lee’s dream job and all resentment because he did not have the Mishima Zaibatsu disappeared. Maybe he did not have the prestige being the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu would give him and not as much money either, far from it, but he had fun and a lot of interest in the robotic project. He was still thinking about it slightly but not feeling jealousy or envy to the point of depressing about it like he did before.

Lee was often asking questions about robotics to the doctor or telling his ideas and propositions. He was so interested in the Prototype Jack project that at home, he began annoying Kazuya with it. Kazuya didn’t care about the technological aspects of the project and just wanted a stronger and tougher robot, so he asked Lee to stop bothering him with details, like that ‘excellent’ rocket booster built into its leg and those as much ‘excellent’ rotating hands replacing its more primitive pincers and drill... As long as it worked, Kazuya didn’t need to know what fuel was powering it. Or how excellent it was... Luckily they were not coming back home in the same limousine or Lee would be annoying all the way (and probably quickly thrown out of the still rolling car). Now that Lee was working elsewhere, he was driving there in his sport car.

Yet Kazuya did notice that Lee was quite happy and had lost all his frustration or jealousy, or hid them very well. It seemed Lee was also quite accommodating with the doctor and getting along very well. Yet Kazuya did ask Lee to slow down on the vodka for the doctor... It was slowing Doctor Bosconovitch’s researches. The scientist had to work first, party later. Kazuya knew how Lee could be a party animal sometimes even if he had not been since a while... In fact maybe since he came in command of the Mishima Zaibatsu, Kazuya had not seen or heard about Lee partying even once... Meaning a real party, not playing bowling or flirting with Anna... He was probably sulking over his defeat all this time... or really busy with all the work he was being given since when he was still secretary, he was almost always sleeping once at home. But that new position gave him some energy and Lee was quite excited thus was annoying Kazuya with robotic details at home.

Lee loved to work on the robot with the doctor, it always was exciting to see it move or even talk with it. Somehow P. Jack, as they sometimes called it, was quite intelligent and mostly seemed to have feelings. It did complain that its looks and refit were not satisfying since it saw the new Russian Jacks and was apparently jealous of it, so the envious robot requested something better.

"PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS A REFIT. PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS TO LOOK BETTER."

"We did give you the best we could", said the doctor.

"PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS TO LOOK MORE LIKE RUSSIAN JACKS. THEY LOOK MORE BIOLOGICAL-LIKE."

"Well, we did give you some arms instead of what you had..." said Lee who added: "You do look like a biological."

"NO. LIES DETECTED. LIES BAD. PROTOTYPE JACK LOOKS PLAIN. PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS A NEW LOOK. PROTOTYPE JACK LOOKS INCOMPLETE."

"You are not incomplete, you’re the best Jack of all!" continued Lee.

"PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS TO LOOK MORE LIKE RUSSIAN JACKS. THEY LOOK MORE BIOLOGICAL-LIKE."

"But you do look human! You look excellent!"

"NO. LIES DETECTED. LIES BAD. PROTOTYPE JACK LOOK WEAK AND PRIMITIVE. PROTOTYPE JACK STILL NEEDS MANY UPGRADES."

"Like what?"

"PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS A REFIT. PROTOTYPE JACK WANTS TO LOOK BETTER."

"Well, we cannot actually..."

"CANNOT? WHY CANNOT? CANNOT BAD."

"I said actually..." repeated Lee, trying to calm the demanding robot.

"PROTOTYPE JACK NEED FULL POWER. PROTOTYPE JA..."

Suddenly the robot shut down. The doctor came back from behind it where he had turned it off. A little surprised but relieved by the doctor’s action, Lee asked him:

"So... what should we do? We cannot afford to give it a more humane look with that budget we have and Kazuya will certainly refuse to give money for such a useless upgrade."

"That is why I guess the best way is to make a change to the memory. We will be able to satisfy P. Jack."

"Excellent!"

After a moment, Doctor Bosconovitch asked Lee:

"I hope you did not fear P. Jack when he became more insistent."

"No. In fact, I found it quite fascinating! To have an actual conversation with an artificial intelligence... I didn’t know what to say but just to speak with P. Jack was an excellent experience!"

"So you don’t fear artificial intelligence? Even if many scientists warned people about it?"

"Not at all! Beside we wouldn’t be working on the project if I or the Mishima Zaibatsu were against it. But people always feared progress. Before they notice all the good it brings."

"But I was wondering: What should artificial intelligence limits be according to you, or your corporation?"

"I do not really know about the corporation but in my opinion, there should be no limits to it. A.I. can be far more helpful than damageable for humanity..."

Relieved, Doctor Bosconovitch muttered:

"Yes... One day, my best project will come to life..."

Or come back to life... contemplated the doctor as he still thought about his beloved dead daughter.

Doctor Bosconovitch then played with Prototype Jack internal memory before he went to look for something to give the robot and make it think it was some kind of enhancement. He then put some cap and sunglasses on it before he reactivated it.

"So how do you like your enhancements?" asked the doctor to the robot.

"PROTOTYPE JACK HAS RECEIVED CHANGES. PROTOTYPE JACK FEELS DIFFERENT."

"Yes, you have been upgraded. The cap gives you +75 defense and +50 attack and the glasses gives you +60 cool. Those are most excellent upgrades! Better than the Russian Jack who only has a +40 cool Mohawk!" said Lee.

"PROTOTYPE JACK UPGRADED! PROTOTYPE JACK HAPPY! NOW PROTOTYPE JACK WANT TO TRY NEW UPGRADES! WE FIGHT!"

"What?" asked the surprised Lee.

"WE FIGHT! FIGHTING ABILITIES DETECTED IN BIOLOGICAL WITH SILVER HAIR."

"Oh, Excellent! You have great detecting abilities! Just let me change into something more fitting for combat and we’ll meet in the fight lab!"

To experiment the fighting capacities skills and new abilities of Prototype Jack and to keep in shape himself, Lee then fought against the robot. Both Lee and the doctor wanted Prototype Jack to improve (in both intelligence and strength) and it was really exciting that Prototype Jack showed some desires of its own and wanted to upgrade itself as well. Lee had much fun working with that really advanced and interesting robotic form.

Yet one thing that made Lee feel a little uncomfortable was those animal experiments that the doctor was also working on. Kazuya had sent for many animals, many endangered species among them, to be captured and experimented on for the purpose of creating a military secret weapon by mixing their DNA with another species in some embryos that would then have the desired characteristics of the other animal. By adding something new from many creatures to each experiment, they would reach the ultimate fighting animal. Yet most died before even being born since Kazuya already wanted the most dangerous animals to be mixed together but the Doctor said that it was better to advance by making only small changes since it guaranteed more their survival as it was proved with his first creation, Roger the kangaroo, who was already more intelligent than a normal kangaroo and more able to learn different fighting moves, probably because of the martial artist’s DNA the doctor had mixed with it. Yet he only had mixed one different DNA, not multiple ones like Kazuya wanted.

Doctor Bosconovitch was already working on Roger before he got abducted with the little baby kangaroo. But he could now use that hybrid kangaroo’s DNA to mix with the preserved DNA of a small dinosaur fossil to create an even tougher fighter.

Two weeks ago, the doctor had succeeded in creating the first dinosaur/reptile/kangaroo hybrid, its parents being reptiles but having both the DNA of a dinosaur and the kangaroo/martial artist hybrid in it. When the small dinosaur hatched, the doctor named him Alex. Alex seemed as intelligent as Roger and they both could learn martial art moves. Yet Lee still wondered what was the usefulness of boxing animals in the military but whatever, he did as Kazuya requested... For scientific purpose, it still was interesting... They really seemed intelligent... and Alex was supposed to grow to much bigger proportions, about twenty feet long... Probably, since Alex was still a test subject and the only one of its kind, Lee and the doctor couldn’t know for sure.

But somehow those experiments made Lee wonder if Kuma could also have been experimented on... Despite that he was always trying to refute the fact that Kuma was as intelligent as his father told him, Lee knew that Kuma was indeed very intelligent... To what degree he didn’t know but he sometimes seemed almost human and those experiments could explain it... But Heihachi wouldn’t have been the one doing it. Those animal experiments never existed before Kazuya’s rule...

Heihachi loved animals too much to do such things as experiment on them, he could do a lot of cruel things to many people, even to his own family but he was far more human than Kazuya toward animals. He always cared for his bear and let many animals live on his property while also caring for them if they needed anything, if he noticed one wounded animal, he would help it. The Michima Zaibatsu gave large sums of money for animal protection associations, like endangered tigers protection groups and many other groups before Kazuya took the reign and cut all those charitable subventions...

Heihachi once explained to Lee, in one of their few ‘normal family’ moment, that he and his beloved dead wife were animals lovers since long ago, Kazumi had a tiger pet (The reason their protection was one of the more founded cause, since Heihachi mostly gave money for their protection in her memory) and he had his bear pet. They were not like their son Kazuya who always hated animals...

Heihachi didn’t tell but Kazuya used to like his mother’s tiger a lot, not like he hated Kuma (In fact, Kazuya hated Kuma only since he got thrown down the cliff and started to hate all Heihachi related things, persons or animals. He also started hating every other animals (who could now feel his Devil aura, so they all feared him and reacted aggressively toward him, so he hated them back. The only animal that may have continued to like him, his mother’s tiger, had died sometimes before her)... But Heihachi didn’t specify why Kazuya hated Kuma and all animals...

Kazuya hated everything anyway according to Heihachi and Lee still had difficulties to see what his brother liked indeed... He liked power... He did like bowling for a time... Like Heihachi who collected geta sandals, Kazuya had a sneakers collection that Lee always wondered about its reason to be since it somehow looked like some kind of emulation of his father and Kazuya always claimed he never wanted to be like his father... Had Kazuya somehow tried to gain his father’s attention and approbation with that? Lee always had the feeling he did but he knew Kazuya would kill him if he told him he thought so... But aside from this, Lee didn’t see very much of Kazuya’s tastes... Even now... He liked to fight, that was for certain... But he probably didn’t like animals indeed to make experiments on them...

But still Kuma was very intelligent... Heihachi told Lee he had found him as a baby cub... Maybe something happened to him before... or to his mother or father... but again Kuma was not the product of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Except for his training since Heihachi trained him and even adapted some kind of martial art especially for his beloved bear...

It was probably the Russians who did something since Doctor Bosconovitch did tell Lee that they had begun those experiments some twenty years ago and not receiving any more founding for the research or to even take care of the animals, they had put the animals back in the wilderness, in each their own natural environment. There were kangaroos, pandas and bears among them...

At least, both Lee and the doctor treated the animals kindly and somehow it wasn’t the cruelest of experiments since they were not tested on to make them suffer but to enhance them... but still... They may become more intelligent but they were still prisoners... and at what point would they be considered intelligent enough to be a person? Beside even as animals, even the stupidest, they deserved to be free... So many morality questions...

Yet to feel less guilty, Lee always told himself, if it was not him taking care of those projects, it would be someone else who may be less kind toward the animals or the abducted doctor. But Lee also knew there were other experiments in the other Mishima Zaibatsu labs around the world... Even the east wing of this building had unknown things going on... Lee often wondered what was done behind those doors from that wing of the building... Maybe if he did his job correctly, Kazuya would tell him one day...

* * *

Yet those animal experiments required animals of course, animals that Kazuya and his employees were gathering since a while... Those many captures finally went to the ear of the WWWC who had already turned their attention toward the Mishima Zaibatsu with that lately intervention for the bears... Jun, who learned about it, volunteered to go back to see the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu to convince him to let go of the animals. She was disappointed and angry, she had much to tell Kazuya Mishima... Yet it probably wasn’t exactly Kazuya’s doing but that evil presence she felt in him that pushed him to do so... She still believed Kazuya Mishima to be a good man. He stopped so fast last time...

"So it’s you", said Kazuya as a slight smile appeared on his face when she came inside the office.

In fact, Kazuya had first refused to see her again since not only his Devil side had been annoyed by it but himself as well since he never wished to fall in love one day and mostly never wished to look weak and stupid while doing so. That woman had an horrible effect on him...

Kazuya didn’t want to look ridiculous like Lee who often proclaimed that he was in love during their teenage years and who was looking like a fool each times while doing so, exclaiming his love in a theatrical way with his beloved roses, writing love letters and drawing little hearts over his notebooks while doing his homework. Beside Lee’s love affairs always lasted least than a week, Lee being unable to be a one woman man. Yet despite knowing Lee would never really be committed to any of them, many girls liked him... Kazuya never understood why...

Yet despite not understanding either why he felt that way with Jun, he told himself he would not be destabilized like he had been last time... He would face his ‘demons’ and not hide. So he had accepted to receive the WWWC officer once more, wondering if it would be Jun Kazama again. He did not ask the reception, he somehow just wanted to see by himself. Despite his first reticence, he seemed happy that it was the case... She came herself, maybe it meant she liked him... as he liked her...

"Yes, me. So what have you done this time?" asked the young WWWC officer on a slightly reprimanding yet still soft tone.

"I have no idea... Tell me."

And this second time, despite having personally participated in those hunts, Kazuya innocently claimed not knowing about it and that it must have been some subordinate’s idea. But he seemed inclined to stop as fast as last time. He was slightly annoyed by the WWWC getting into his business but anyway he had started to grow tired of those animal experiments that he began to consider worthless failures. So it wasn’t a big deal to let them go. He now had a better idea on what to test on anyway...

Lee then received Kazuya’s call ordering him to safely send back the animals to their native environment and stop all researches on them (except Roger and Alex who were in a more advanced state of experimentation and beside they were born and grown in the lab, so the WWWC didn’t even know about them as Kazuya specified his brother once Jun was gone).

Jun still had doubts about his good will even if Kazuya supposedly freed all of the animals that he had captured but despite her distrust and the fact that he tried to act more distant this time, both of them not talking very much, she could tell that he had feelings for her and still thought him to be good. Somehow her presence always convinced him to stop, pushing away the evil entity inside of him even if maybe for just some times... She also still felt deeply attracted to him which may be the reason she was so lenient on him... As her job required, she did tell him about legal pursuits the WWWC intended to do if he continued but she knew how the Mishima Zaibatsu was powerful and fearless of the law. Somehow the kind way was probably the best for both the animals and Kazuya...

* * *

Meanwhile Anna, Bruce and his mercenary band were now hunting down their prey. One of Bruce’s men had discovered Heihachi and his bear near some cave in the woods. Heihachi and Kuma were training.

After having quickly phoned the WWWC in panic to report his son’s abuse over the bears, Heihachi had not lost any time and quickly went toward the Hokkaido area to find his beloved Kuma and take care of any hunters trying to hurt him. When Kuma discovered the trail of beaten hunters, not made by bear claws or bite but by human fists and feet, he quickly deduced his beloved master was alright and had joyously started running toward the scent of his ‘adoptive father’. With much emotion they found each other again and they then started training (on the hunters mostly, until the hunt was called off) to come back to the Mishima Zaibatsu and beat that Devil Kazuya when the time would come.

Once they noticed their preys training under the entrance of the cave, Anna prepared her bazooka while Bruce positioned his men around to surprise the two enemies.

"It’s so cute... The bear really looks like a cartoon character..." whispered Anna as she looked at Kuma making martial art moves.

"You take care of Yogi, I take care of the old man", said Bruce as he stared at the two enemies training.

"So I’m stuck with the bear?" asked Anna, who didn’t really enjoy that alternative but whatever she had a bazooka... She didn’t mind making a cartoon bear explode... even if he was cute...

Bruce knew of Heihachi’s mistreatments on Kazuya, not everything but Kazuya did tell him some things and Bruce, despite not showing it to not pity his friend, was revolted. He hated Heihachi. That man over there had been hurting a child. An innocent child. His own child! That part of Bruce that was sensible to children’s suffering was outraged and when Kazuya sent him to kill that abominable father, Bruce was eager to do it.

Then Anna started the hostilities by firing her bazooka over the cave entrance, destroying it as all the rock and soil roof fell over the two training partners who got buried under it. Bruce, Anna and the others all approached the place to see if any had survived. Then, among the smoke and dirt, one of the mercenaries noticed a movement, so they all began shooting toward it with their automatic guns. Heihachi and his bear were probably dead. But suddenly as the smoke and dirt had dissipated enough, Heihachi and his bear were there, alive and standing. Before anyone could do anything else, they both quickly launched at the now nearer assailants. The bear seemed berserk as he quickly ripped a mercenary in two with his claws and the man seemed as well as he grabbed two mercenaries and brutally knocked their heads together, making both men fall down, unconscious. Then the terrible duo began to slaughter the rest of the mercenaries.

After mauling many adversaries, Kuma growled and launched at Anna who quickly fired her second shell at the enraged beast. But being impressed by the carnage and the giant bear coming toward her, she missed and hit the rubbles again. Then, trying to defend herself, she grabbed her bazooka like a bat and hit the bear before he could rip her apart. Kuma fell down but quickly got back on his paws and threw himself at her once more, clawing and growling in anger. Anna parried the attack with her bazooka but Kuma quickly grabbed the weapon and threw it away. Yet the time the bear did so, Anna quickly replied with a kick on Kuma’s muzzle. She had to act fast before the bear would kill her. Anna was terrified by the beast but she tried to tell herself that it was just a giant adversary, nothing more. She had beaten a lot of people far bigger than her so she shouldn’t be impressed even if that one had three inches long claws... Kuma backed away before he replied and Anna had to use all her Aikido knowledge to not get hit by that dangerous beast...

Meanwhile, as all the others were beaten, Heihachi was now against Bruce. The Muay Thai fighter was determined to beat that man and avenge his friend. Anyone hurting a child deserved a lesson... Heihachi asked him:

"I guess you’re sent by my son?"

"Yeah. That’s right. We were ordered to kill you and we will."

"Humpf. Well, Kazuya should know that no matter how many he sends against me, I will beat them all and come for him after."

As only answer, Bruce jumpkicked toward the older man and they began to fight. As they fought, Bruce realized that Kazuya’s father really was tough. He could experience himself all that Kazuya went through by being punched, kicked, severely beaten and even thrown into a ravine since Heihachi suddenly grabbed him and threw him into the deep ravine near them. Bruce fell into the foliage of the many surrounding trees, disappearing in it.

Some moment later, Bruce regained consciousness as he felt that horrible pain in his arm. As he turned his head, he noticed that he had impaled himself on a branch. The tree was having blood on it and the branch was all red... But he also noticed something else that was red... Anna’s dress... She was there, trying to free his arm from the branch and she seemed to have suffered a lot as well, her dress was ripped with a claw attack from Kuma, she was bleeding all along her thigh.

"We have to leave", whispered Anna to Bruce in a somehow panicked way. She had succeeded in escaping Kuma and they were now somehow hidden by all the foliage of the trees around them but with his excellent sense of smell, he will probably catch up with her scent... mostly her expensive perfume... Both Heihachi and Kuma were still in quite good shape when she escaped... Anna was still horrified by how everyone else had been killed or knocked out so easily... She remembered those men ripped in two by Kuma... That bear wasn’t cartoonish at all... Kuma was probably now eating some human flesh as Kazuya also told her he did... or worst, looking for her...

"We have to leave!" she repeated to her companion who seemed half conscious. She then succeeded in freeing him and they ran away from the place to reach the helicopter they came with and go to the hospital... Both too wounded to continue, Bruce had reluctantly agreed to leave and make part of their failure to Kazuya...

Heihachi and Kuma had noticed Anna fleeing and even still could see her red dress among the foliage as she tried to help Bruce but when the furious Kuma wanted to run after them, Heihachi stopped him and told him that it was better if Kazuya had witnesses to report this than not knowing how it went...

"Come Kuma. Let’s go back to the cave."


	18. The Manji Clan

Many months later, Lee was in his Mishima Heavy Industries office, speaking to an armored man with a jaguar mask.

"I’m sorry, Armor King, but we must end your contract now. However, you’ll get an excellent bonus payment if you swear to never talk about what you did as a job here. Never speak of that project to anyone. Thank you for your contribution, you were really appreciated and shall be missed."

Then dropping his professional tone, Lee added on a kinder tone:

"I also personally appreciated fighting against you. I wish you luck in the future. I’m sorry again. But maybe Kazuya could still call you one day..."

Disappointed, the man only growled as response before he took the cheque and left.

Armor King, a luchador, had got the job of training the altered animals by Kazuya who had been quite impressed with his skills during the Iron Fist Tournament. During the Tournament, Armor King was one of the few who trained with Kazuya between the fights, Kazuya even taught him some Mishima-style moves while they trained together, until Armor King suffered an eye damaging wound during a confrontations with another luchador participant named King which forced him to abandon the Tournament.

Since he was still recuperating in Japan when Kazuya started the animal project, Kazuya asked him if he was in shape for a training contract and if he would be interested. With his animal mask, maybe he could somehow bound with the animals... Not wanting to leave the fighting scene despite his wound, Armor King had accepted, hoping it would help him keep in shape as well while giving him some money.

But now that Kazuya requested to get rid of the animals, even Alex and Roger, Armor King had no reason to work at the Mishima Heavy Industries anymore. Having first decided to keep them, Kazuya had seen the reports about Alex and Roger and didn’t judge them satisfying enough. Like the other animals, Alex and Roger were worthless. He told Lee to get rid of the beasts and to leave no traces of it. So to kill them, not release them since that would attract too much attention on the animals, mostly on Alex who was very special, and then maybe on the Mishima Zaibatsu with the WWWC on their back again. Kazuya had decided to not see Jun anymore.

Lee then left his office and went to Doctor Bosconovitch laboratory. The doctor wasn’t actually there but Lee went in fact to see Alex and Roger. Both had their own little room with a large glass wall so that they could be observed anytime. Roger was actually lying down on his divan, wearing his glasses since he had some vision problems, while watching television, not paying any attention to Lee while Alex seemed more curious. Gazing at the human and quickly moving toward him, Alex was making small growls like if he asked what was going on.

Lee was also looking at the small dinosaur, wondering what would happen to him... Lee wasn’t agreeing with Kazuya’s decision. Why kill the dinosaur? Alex was special, he deserved to be studied! Not only was he intelligent but he was a dinosaur! An extinct species! Why didn’t Kazuya see the possibilities of this? Not for the military purpose, that option was still useless but the fact that some extinct species could be brought back to life was really interesting!

Lee was thinking about this when he suddenly saw someone behind him in the window’s reflection. When he turned, he noticed some masked man holding a katana. He quickly recognized him: Yoshimitsu, the Manji clan leader. Lee told him:

"You were at the Tournament, it has been a while that you Manji Clan hang around our corporation... Even years..."

"It has been a while, even years, that your corporation has money, too much money... and not enough worthy goals for it. Others would need it", replied the ninja.

"We give a lot to causes, well, not actually... but we will soon... Beside you thieves do not deserve it either. You’re nothing but a bunch of con artists. You incite the masses with your false promises... and get in our way."

Lee was saying what Heihachi always told about the Manji Clan. To Heihachi and his sons, the Manji Clan ninjas were no heroes but liars who pretended to help people while stealing for themselves. And mostly they were enemies.

"Your way... Peuh! Those who treat the path of evil shall face judgment eventually. And we do not keep it for ourselves, we give to the needy."

"Humpf! I find it hard to believe. You’re only petty thieves. And as such, you are not allowed here. Leave at once before I call security", said Lee as he quickly looked around for a weapon since the ninja had a sword, he needed at least something to parry the blade. The ninja will probably not leave... Yoshimitsu didn’t use it in the Tournament but they were not in a tournament right now... The fight would be more serious and mostly without any rules...

"Humpf! Con artists, petty thieves... I will not bear such insults... but anyway I did not come here for your precious money this time but to save a friend. And maybe many friends", said the ninja who noticed the small dinosaur behind Lee, who was somehow pleading with his gaze and attitude for the newcomer to set him free.

"And who may your friend be?"

"Doctor Bosconovitch, I owe him my life. I shall get him out of your evil organization!" answered the ninja as he gazed at his prosthetic hand that the doctor gave him when he got his hand cut in some failed thievery attempt in Russia. Without his help, he would have bled to death with his severed hand and his multiple other wounds... The doctor saved him, tried his new prosthetic hand on him and then let him go.

"I’m sorry but that request has to be refused. The doctor stays here. Beside he is comfortable here, we see to all his needs", answered Lee as he picked a metal pipe to use as a parrying weapon.

"I do not think so, he may be well treated but is still forced to do your evil bidding!"

"Most of his experiments were already begun while he was free."

"Then I must specify: Forced to use his inventions for your evil goals! Despite what the Mishima Zaibatsu think of themselves, you are just a band of recalcitrant outlaws!"

"Peuh! Like we should answer to you, thieves!"

Yoshimitsu then threw himself at Lee who quickly parried the blade coming toward him before he kicked Yoshimitsu in the stomach and a fight began. Lee was using the metal pipe as a parrying weapon while mostly using his feet as offensive weapons. As the fight went on, Yoshimitsu was surprised, the elegantly dressed businessman was far more aggressive than he thought for an executive... But then he remembered how Heihachi Mishima was obsessed with fighting and Yoshimitsu also remembered having seen that silver-haired man beside Heihachi in the VIP box during the Tournament, so he assumed that he must be very important in the Mishima Zaibatsu. He even heard he would be Heihachi’s adoptive son... Then probably very well trained in the art of fighting...

Lee had now cornered Yoshimitsu and the ninja could only back away some feet before he would be stuck in the corner. Quickly reacting, Yoshimitsu jumped into the air and began rotating his sword to levitate. He then easily escaped confinement while he landed behind the stunned Lee.

"Are you a cyborg?" asked Lee who still gazed at Yoshimitsu’s now slowing down rotating hand with awe.

"Doctor Bosconovitch saved my life by giving me that prosthetic hand when I got wounded in a fight. I owe him much..."

"I see... But I still won’t let you take him away."

Despite finding the cybernetic hand quite interesting, Lee resumed fighting as Yoshimitsu launched at him once more.

After a while, Yoshimitsu violently slammed his sword over Lee’s metal pipe and the silver-haired demon lost his defensive weapon. Lee quickly tumbled away, doing many backward somersaults to evade Yoshimitsu’s slashing sword and reached some door. As Lee opened it, Yoshimitsu noticed the large robot with a cap and sunglasses, sitting down. Hitting some button on its back, Lee quickly turned on the Prototype Jack, ordering it to help him in the fight. Seeing this, Yoshimitsu ran toward the dinosaur’s glass prison and quickly slammed his glowing sword on it, shattering it.

"Shall you help me, friend?" asked the ninja to the dinosaur with boxing gloves.

Alex nodded and went beside Yoshimitsu as Lee and Prototype Jack launched at them.

But as they fought, Prototype Jack suddenly got attacked from above by Kunimitsu and two other ninjas who fell down from the ceiling. As the two ninjas grabbed the robot, the kunoichi quickly grabbed the robot’s tank top from behind and dropped some explosive inside. Getting rid of the ninjas grabbing it, the robot was not fast enough to take out the explosive from its tank top and exploded before it fell down with a complete shutdown while the ninjas quickly backed away.

"You have done well! Now Kunimitsu, take those little ones to safety! Kyo! Ryouta! Go look for the doctor!" said their leader as he showed both Alex and Roger, who still was in his glass prison not far but was now looking at the events, then showed the door to the other two ninjas.

"Right away!" said the red-haired woman as she quickly destroyed Roger’s cage with some explosive while the two other ninjas left the laboratory, looking for Doctor Bosconovitch.

Yet the kunoichi had other plans than freeing the animals: She thought that those experiments may be worth a lot... She could sell them and make quite a lot of money... She knew about that Doctor Abel who would probably be interested... She’ll bring them to him and just tell Yoshimitsu that she lost them in the woods before they reached the vehicle... They escaped... They are wild animals after all...

Kunimitsu asked Alex and Roger to follow her to the outside as Yoshimitsu was now turning his entire attention on Lee who was quite distracted by both Prototype Jack’s destruction and the animals’ escape. Being ninjas, they had invaded the complex without setting off any alarms so the guards were probably not even aware of their presence, that kunoichi will be able to neutralize any opposition without them suspecting anything... Most cameras were probably or will be neutralized as well... Those ninjas’ force was their discretion, not their fighting power against all those guards who would probably overpower them but now the guards will be surprised that the attack comes from inside... and no one will stop them from taking Doctor Bosconovitch away... Maybe the doctor wasn’t even friend with them... and even if he was... He had to stay here... He wasn’t badly treated... They had experiments to work on! Lee thought he had to call security...

Yet his worries made him lose all concentration in the fight. With a swift thrust from his glowing blade, Yoshimitsu impaled Lee in the rib. Blood spurted from the wound as the silver-haired demon fell down in pain. Looking at his downed adversary moaning in pain and losing consciousness, the ninja quickly lifted his blade to give him the coup de grace.

"Die on my blade, like the vermin you are!"

"No! Stop!"

Yoshimitsu turned toward the yell: His good friend Doctor Bosconovitch was there, in front of the door, looking at them with a worried stare, so Yoshimitsu stopped his momentum and lowered his blade.

"Don’t hurt him..." asked the doctor as he walked toward the two.

Yoshimitsu looked at the doctor then at the silver-haired man now unconscious at his feet. If his friend asked for that man to be spared, then he must not be as evil as the Manji Clan leader had first thought. Yoshimitsu’s cursed blade that was passed down through many generations in the Manji clan, requested blood to retains its fantastic powers or it would drive the wielder, Yoshimitsu himself, insane. Blood meaning the sword needed to take a life. The ninja always told himself that if he had to kill someone, it should be one of the elite, one if the high ranking leaders of the evil corporation... Yoshimitsu mostly killed the most evil ones when he could and the boss of this place seemed like the best choice to calm his sword’s bloodlust... but his friend asked him not to, so he would have to find another victim...

Now ignoring the fallen Lee, Yoshimitsu quickly went toward his good friend who was happy to see him. Like the ninja told Lee, even if he was treated well here, the doctor was not free to do whatever he wished, he was ordered which invention to do or not and how they would be used. He had asked Lee about his opinion on artificial intelligence in case he wouldn’t be able to escape and in case he would be able to work on his great project here but he preferred by far to be free from working for the Mishima Zaibatsu... He knew they were evil... But Lee was not, the doctor had appreciated him and didn’t want Yoshimitsu to hurt him more than he already was.

As they both went away, Lee regained consciousness. He tried to get up but the pain was intolerable. Touching his wound, he noticed that his elegant suit was all stained with his blood as was the floor and he panicked since he didn’t know if the wound was deadly or not. He often fought in his life but it was the first time that a blade cut him that deeply... Most people he fought with didn’t have blades anyway. He quickly picked his phone and despite staining it with his shaking and bloodied hands, he called security to take the doctor back and for the medical personnel to come help him.

"Security, we are invaded by the Manji Clan...! They have Doctor Bosconovitch...! Ungh... The doctor must be retrieved and taken away from those ninjas... Ungh... And send some medical personnel in his lab, please... I’m... Ungh... wounded... I’m bleeding... Ungh…"

Some moments later, the medics came and began to take care of Lee then some time after, some guard arrived and told him:

"After a confrontation with the ninjas, we have retrieved the doctor. He has been taken into an helicopter and will be sent to our Kyoto complex."

"Oh... Excellent... Ungh…" replied Lee, smiling weakly while trying not to lose consciousness once more since he had lost a lot of blood.

But as the medics were still taking care of him, as he was looking by the large window, Lee saw the Mishima Heavy Industries helicopter flying away with the doctor. As he was still watching, some people suddenly seemed to jump from it and the helicopter suddenly exploded some seconds later. Lee quickly sent for guards to go look for any survivors in the forest. But the Mishima guards patrolled all day long and found no one, except the dead pilot and his also dead crew. They didn’t find the doctor, nor alive nor dead. The two animals also had escaped. Lee thought that it probably was better like this... Kazuya had said that the animals were failures and wanted them killed, so they were better now... But the doctor...

* * *

Meanwhile Kazuya learned about Bruce’s failure to kill Heihachi since the Muay Thai practitioner just came back from another violent confrontation with the ex-CEO and his bear. Some times ago, Anna had tried alone (and failed) and now Bruce tried again with his men but they all failed as well. Luckily, Bruce could escape with much bruises and scratches but his men did not have that chance and Bruce was the only survivor of the attack. Heihachi left him alive again so that he could report to Kazuya and he knew how it would annoy his son... It was so funny... Yet both Anna and Bruce were lucky with their failure since Kazuya always blamed everything on his hated father and not on them. Then as Kazuya was still cursing Heihachi for that failed ambush, the phone rang. Kazuya picked the phone in a not too happy mood.

"What? ... What?! ... How much damage? ... No, they are not to blame! You are! You were the one responsible for keeping him! The whole failure falls on your shoulders! You did not deserve that position! You’re just a failure! You’re fired! Leave at once!"

Bruce and Anna looked at Kazuya while wondering what could make him be so angry, Bruce already upset him by coming back with a failure to announce and now something seemed to infuriate him.

"... Well, leave the complex and go cry at home, we’ll talk later. ...Fine. Cry at the hospital then."

Despite Kazuya seemingly calming down a bit in the end, the two could feel him to still be very furious. He then explained his reasons:

"Lee failed. He lost our most brilliant and important scientist, he lost two experiments and he lost an helicopter. And many guards were killed. Over and above the fact that the complex suffered thousands if not more in damage from that Manji Clan attack since they completely destroyed the security system. I have enough of him! I’ll fire him from the Zaibatsu and kick him out of the house!"

Two failure today... Kazuya was not very happy. He could forgive the first one, his friend Bruce failed, it could happen, Heihachi was almost invincible but he was not doing the same for Lee... No matter if it was Yoshimitsu and the Manji Clan who organized this, it was still Lee’s fault. He failed.

"No, don’t do that", said Anna who seemed concerned for Lee.

Kazuya turned toward Anna with a moody expression. He had first asked her to spy on his adoptive brother since he noticed how Anna and Lee were always flirting with each other and decided to use it to inform himself. Knowing Anna was only playing with Lee and not seriously infatuated with him, he sent her to inquire about Lee and report any suspicious behaviour or attitude. He mostly trusted her to squeeze the facts out of Lee while not getting too attached to his adoptive brother.

Anna appreciated Lee, even more than Kazuya thought, but her first loyalty really was to Kazuya. She did report everything she knew of Lee to Kazuya, not omitting one detail and she could tell that Lee had never tried anything against him and was loyal. So after Anna’s favorable report, Kazuya had decided to reward his brother and to give him the head of department position at the Mishima Heavy industries. But now, he was not really happy of how it turned out... and he also began to wonder how much Anna really liked Lee...

"Why? He failed. I’m tired of him. I’m tired of him since a long while", said the Mishima who still considered Lee like an intruder in his family.

There were some times that he did consider him as his brother but those were very few, were getting even rarer and mostly were not when Lee was not satisfying him... If Lee someday disappeared, Kazuya knew he wouldn’t miss him. They tried being closer at the beginning of his rule, but it didn’t work and would never work. The best Kazuya could do was to tolerate him, just because Lee was his brother... Even then, the relation between Kazuya and his father was one full of hate, despite them having even closer family ties so the adoptive brother tie was not that unbreakable. Anna tried to explain her reasons:

"Well, if you fire him and kick him out, he’ll be angry and he’ll join your father who’s somewhere out there. Chaolan knows a lot of things from the Zaibatsu, it could be dangerous for you and useful for Heihachi."

"Then I’ll have to silence him."

Even if she didn’t know how serious Kazuya was with that death threat, Anna quickly said:

"No, no, no. No. It wouldn’t be useful. At all. Chaolan may have failed some things but has he ever betrayed you? Personally?"

"He did betray our father. I saw that he have helped some woman flee with an amulet. As I discovered, that amulet is not any amulet... Oyaji was investigating on his treachery and I got the results when I came in power."

"Betrayed your father, not you. It annoys you that much that your brother betrayed the father you hate?"

"Still he didn’t show loyalty as he should have, it means he could betray me as well..."

"It doesn’t mean he would betray you. Heihachi did things to him too, he’s as much an enemy of your father as you are. Beside divide and conquer, let them hate each other. Chaolan is useful as an ally against your father, not as an enemy against you. And not useful at all as a corpse. He did act loyally to you all the times I subtlety tested him. He failed his task now but he is still loyal..."

"But you contradict yourself, you said he would betray me if I fire him, so not so loyal after all. I think you love him too much. You hanged out too often with him."

"No. I don’t love him, but he’s sweet."

"Apart from being sweet, does he have something really useful to Kazuya?" asked Bruce who was not really the sentimental person.

"Well, yes! He’s his brother. He knows a lot of things, he lived a lot of things like Kazuya."

"It’s strange that you’re the one protecting a sibling... You hate your sister and always want to kill her", continued Bruce.

"Hum. No. You don’t understand sibling rivalry. Why do you think I never killed Nina? I had many chances, but I always choose to let her live. It’s not just black and white. Nina has always been our father’s favorite, he always neglected me but it doesn’t mean she is not my sister... I haven’t found yet why I spare her but there is a reason to it. Maybe I want to humiliate her first... Maybe I want her to confess if she did kill our father..."

Anna wondered if she wanted her big sister’s attention instead of their father since he was dead, maybe she did admire Nina and wanted her approval to feel equal... even if that was kind of annoying... Kazuya asked her:

"How do you know if that reason is one useful to you? Maybe your sister is just a weakness."

Like that Jun Kazama, thought Kazuya who still wondered if he loved her or not. If he was weak or not. After their last meeting, Kazuya had thought he would have been able to forget about her but he found out he was always deeply obsessed with her... And that obsession provoked something in him: So many nights, he had constant dreams of an angel... Those dreams were so peaceful... In those dreams, he felt so serene... when that angel was alone with him, not when Devil was there. Devil hated it... In those dreams, quite often as well, Angel was fighting Devil.

And despite the serenity he often felt with Angel’s presence, he felt threatened when Angel confronted Devil. Was it him or Devil who had to fear? Maybe Jun was right saying that he was protecting himself from her... Or was it Devil who felt threatened? Sometime, more often than before, Kazuya had problems not identifying himself with Devil... Or was it Devil trying to overcome him? He somehow made a pact with that entity but not to become its slave...

He also knew that this confusion somehow made him react in amplified and mostly violent ways... Feeling tied to Devil, he was acting in evil ways more often to somehow suppress Angel’s influence over him... but also sometimes, though far less often, he felt more empathic toward certain things because Angel was making him feel so serene... Like with Jun... Were those dreams somehow related to Jun? Kazuya was confused.

As was Anna who also wondered about her own relation with her sister. She thought some seconds about Kazuya’s question, she really didn’t know. But if someone told her she could kill Nina right this instant, she probably would refuse. Even if Nina always bullied her all through their life. Killing Nina would nevertheless prove that she was superior to her and thus she would stop being the little bullied sister... but again, she would probably feel some emptiness... Maybe it was not want she wanted...? Pushing her confusion aside, she told Kazuya:

"I don’t know about Nina, okay? But your brother is useful to you. He should keep his job. Who worked on the Prototype Jack with the doctor? Chaolan. He knows a lot!"

"The Prototype Jack is already finished, it just needs repairs now", said Kazuya who somehow thought that Anna had a point anyway...

But Lee was not indispensable, they had the plans for the robot... Others could repair it. Yet Kazuya also knew he was conveying all his frustrations and anger toward his little brother like when they were young and he was breaking Lee’s things because he was angry, and not even at Lee... An habit was so hard to get out from... It was so easy to fall into a pattern...

Knowing his own opinion was actually influenced by that Devil/Angel fight inside of him, making him react too violently or not enough, Kazuya thought he should ask the advice of someone fairer and less inclined to emotions, so he turned to Bruce:

"Since you’re not influenced by any feelings toward him, what do you say, Bruce? What should I do with Lee?"

"Technically, I’d say like Anna; He didn’t seem to have betrayed you. Things were out of his control over there. So completely firing him from the Mishima Zaibatsu would be a harsh punishment. Just take him away from that position if you feel he doesn’t have what it takes for it. Maybe temporarily I don’t know but nothing will stop you from asking him later about the Prototype Jack or anything related to what he worked on should some advices be needed if he is still at your employ."

* * *

So the next day, Kazuya went to see Lee at the hospital. Kazuya asked him how he was doing and Lee showed his wound to his brother while explaining:

"I asked the surgeons to do their best so that no scar would be apparent once it healed."

"That’s ridiculous. It’s just a scar. You’re so superficial... Beside it’s not that apparent, like if it was in your face..."

"No, but I often go swimming. I don’t want to have an ugly scar by my side. I must have the perfect body or the ladies will find me repulsive."

"You’re so frivolously vain! What would you do with my scar? Kill yourself? Scars makes you look tougher! You could tell your friends and ladies the story of that scar and impress them!"

Lee thought that he shouldn’t have talked about his scar when Kazuya’s scar was far bigger... Since his father threw him from that cliff, Kazuya had a really big scar running across his chest... Lee always knew him with it and somehow didn’t think about it anymore... But Kazuya was a tough guy, he wanted to look tough, not him... Lee wanted to look handsome and elegant... A scar was not elegant. Seeing Lee’s unenthusiastic face, Kazuya then bluntly told him:

"But yeah, not that it’s such a great story anyway. You lost. You lost so many things and made me lose much as well. Since you’re incapable of handling such big responsibilities, I’m taking you away from your position at the Mishima Heavy Industries and you’ll be back as my personal secretary where I’ll be able to keep an eye on you."

Lee was surprised by his brother’s declaration but before he could reply anything back, Kazuya added:

"In a week or two, when you get out, you’ll come to work at the office. I wish you a speedy recovery but take your time to heal well. Mostly your ‘ugly’ scar..."

"... I don’t want to have that secretary job again! I want to keep my actual position!"

"No. Beside being my secretary will be less dangerous. You won’t have to suffer any other scars."

"I don’t care about scars that much! I want to keep my place!"

"No."

Lee tried to protest and keep his position at the Mishima Heavy Industries but his brother didn’t change his mind and left. Lee was depressed again: Not that boring and demanding secretary job again... Those months at the Mishima Heavy industries had been so fulfilling and fun... and it was now over...

* * *

Some days later, Jun learned once more about abductions made by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Three rare bamboo lemurs had been abducted from their native rain forest in Madagascar and from all the witnesses accounts, it was the Mishima Zaibatsu’s doing... So she quickly went back to Kazuya’s office... She was disappointed, Kazuya had seemed quite incline to free them last time... It seemed he never learned anything... Was this evil entity too strong for him to resist? She may have to do more to help him... He won’t be able to get out of this alone... Yet she would also be able to see him again...

Jun had left the Kazama exorcism ways since some years to work at the WWWC but had begun to try to learn to control her abilities again when she met Kazuya. She already had some power inside of her yet if Kazuya needed more help to get out of this, she would be able to provide for him with real exorcism. She did wonder how she would meet with him again so that opportunity somehow came at the right time even if it was slightly disappointing that he was still doing those things...

As soon as Jun entered Kazuya’s office, she noticed that the missing animals were in cages on the side of the room while Kazuya was standing near the door. Seeing her, Kazuya smiled and told her while showing the caged animals:

"They are gifts. For you."

Gifts? Jun was slightly disconcerted. Even presenting her those captured animals, somehow Kazuya didn’t seem evil, he seemed naively happy to see her... Yet he captured those animals for this? Just to make her come back? That man was kind of weird. But still somehow Jun couldn’t help but think his attempt to get her attention was cute... Somehow even if Kazuya had used a twisted way to see her again, she pitied him; he probably needed love and didn’t know how to ask... At least, the animals didn’t seem to have been hurt... Yet they were stressed... Kazuya made them live some stressful situation and still was, since they all felt the evil presence emanating from him... All three lemurs were paralyzed with fear... Feeling pity for them but also for Kazuya, Jun told him:

"You know... If you wanted me to come back, you could have done it in a much simpler way..."

Reaching Kazuya, she handed him a paper.

"Here’s my phone number. You just have to call..."

Kazuya smiled as Jun blushed and lowered her head under his intense gaze. Kazuya then told her on a kind tone, a tone he very rarely used:

"Arigato, Jun-Chan... If I may... call you like that?"

Jun kept blushing while nodding in approval until she lifted her head once more and told Kazuya:

"You can. And please, don’t ever capture animals again, okay?"

"Fine. You have my word. You can take them back."

Looking at him once more, Jun felt he was telling her the truth. She then came closer to Kazuya and kissed him on the cheek. At first, he was surprised but he then embraced her and kissed her on the lips. Jun then embraced him as well and they kissed for a long time. Then, after Kazuya called for some employees to help Jun take the animals to her WWWC van and told her he would pay for their repatriation, she left the office.

Jun was still worried for the lemurs, they were really stressed out, taken away from their native environment just for some love affair... She still both was angry at Kazuya and pitied him... while finding him handsome and cute... The kind of rich guy that does anything he wishes yet also the kind of clumsy and shy boy underneath that rich and conceited man... That was so complicated... Yet the true Kazuya probably didn’t have the sides she found annoying about him... It was the evil entity...

* * *

Meanwhile, contemplating Jun’s phone number, Kazuya was also slightly divided, his Devil side was not happy of this but himself was quite happy of how it turned out... Jun really liked him... Somehow his conversation with Anna had convinced him to see Jun once more. As she said, it wasn’t just black and white... He didn’t have to know if Jun was all good or all bad... Maybe that Angel/Devil thing would calm down... or probably not but at least, maybe he would know what was happening to him... Maybe this war would end...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part included one of Yoshimitsu's endings...


	19. Rebellion

As soon as he got out of the hospital, Lee was back to his secretary job, getting orders from Kazuya...

As he was printing some papers in the small printing room, Anna suddenly came and sexily walked toward him. Taking her sensual voice, she asked him:

"So, Mister Lee Chaolan, how are you doing?"

Turning toward her, Lee smiled at the sight of his beloved friend that he had almost not seen since he left for the Mishima Heavy Industries and courteously bowed to her. At least, she was one good reason to work here...

"Now that I see you lovely Lady Williams, I’m in Heaven."

"Hum. You almost went there for real... That wound almost killed you..."

"Not really, they said nothing vital was touched. Yet I thought about you when I was about to pass out. I had to stay and see my angel again..."

"Ohhh... Yes, this angel really worries about you..." answered Anna as she was now hugging him. Closing the door with a kick, she then suddenly lifted his shirt, caressing his rib cage.

"So that’s where your scar is supposed to be? I don’t see anything... Barely... It did heal very well..."

Still groping his torso, she said as she pushed him on the desk:

"Now, Mister Lee Chaolan, let’s see if there is any more scars on that sexy body..."

Lee chuckled.

"Anna! Stop! No, don’t! Don’t stop!"

Yet enjoying the search, Lee now embraced Anna and told her with a perverse smile:

"And you, lovely Lady Williams? Do you have any scars? Must I check?"

Anna smiled.

"No. I don’t have any. Search all you want, you won’t... see any..."

Yet she did look troubled.

"... In fact, yes. I have one. But I don’t want you to see it."

Lee turned serious.

"Anna... Don’t be ashamed... You don’t have to show me but even if you have a scar, you’re still the most beautiful and sexy girl I have ever seen..."

Anna looked at him with a sad smile.

"I have this scar since long but I never showed you, I always hid it, from anyone... You know how a life of danger can damage someone..."

"But I love dangerous women... You’re the most dangerous of all..."

Lee began to kiss her on the neck.

"Chaolan... Stop it... Really... We don’t have time to play anymore... Your brother will come back soon... He won’t see you work again and will scold you. I don’t like to see you being scolded..."

"Peuh... Like I care..."

Even if he knew Anna would report everything to Kazuya, Lee didn’t mind. He wanted his brother to know how displeased he was with that annoying secretary job... He wouldn’t suck up to his brother to please him. But Anna pushed him away. She also didn’t want to look too close with Lee in front of Kazuya... She already revealed Kazuya too much of her feelings last time...

"I care. So stop."

Lee let go of Anna before he kneeled before her. Taking her hand, he gently kissed it then said:

"Okay, fine... For you, lovely Lady Williams, I will stop. Not for Kazuya."

Anna didn’t say anything as Lee replaced his shirt and vest to look immaculate as always before he would go back to his desk to work but she noticed that Lee was far less obedient than before... He really resented losing his place at the Mishima Heavy Industries... Yet it wasn’t by rebelling that he would get his position back... But she thought that Kazuya really made a mistake taking that job away from him...

* * *

Since they didn’t really get along apart from very rare moments, and that since being frustrated once more, Lee was arguing far more often and contesting many of Kazuya’s decisions, Kazuya lately gave Lee an ultimatum to leave the Mishima mansion. So after some desperate altercation where Lee argued that he could not leave the house and pay the rent to an apartment suiting his (expensive, but he didn’t mention it that way) needs with that small secretary pay he was earning, and that he already had so much to pay (hoping to at least get a raise if he had to move away), Kazuya told him that he didn’t care and Lee would just have to go live in the streets again since it was where he belonged in the first place.

Despite having no tyrannical father at home anymore, the ambiance never really became friendly, Kazuya almost always treated Lee with scorn and Lee decided that even if Kazuya always refused to give him a raise after that failure at the Mishima Heavy Industries and that he would have even more things to pay by adding a rent, he had to leave before being evicted. Lee knew that Kazuya was very well capable of throwing all his stuff into the street... So he found an apartment suiting his needs, even if not as much as he would have liked, and told Kazuya he would leave the mansion in one week.

"Good", answered Kazuya with his usual lopsided grin and condescending air, which awfully annoyed Lee who was feeling like if he had lost another fight with his brother.

He wanted to punch Kazuya so much... He hated both his father and brother so much... He couldn’t even be respected as a full member of that stupid family, no matter what he did, he was considered the servant of one or another, their little dog...

Really furious, Lee decided to avoid another confrontation that he would probably lose and to go for a stroll in the Mishima gardens to calm his nerves instead. Since Kazuya scared him about that human-eating Kuma many years ago, Lee had never dared venture into the woods, the deepest part of the gigantic gardens and later never had time either. So before he would leave, he wanted to visit the whole domain (well the gardens at least since the whole property was even bigger than those gigantic gardens and would probably take days to visit)... Kuma wasn’t even there anymore so he didn’t have anything to worry about... The other bears, if any, would probably be outside of the gardens.

As he walked for some hours, he didn’t really know how much time, Lee began to notice the mountains a little farther. Still on the Mishima lands, the Hon-Maru temple was slightly visible over there, among that creepy fog. Heihachi sometimes went there but Lee never had been. He wouldn’t go today either since it looked very far, inaccessible and somehow creepy... Like the Mishima mansion at night...

As he told Doctor Bosconovitch, Lee often thought the mansion was haunted... Mostly when he was a child and he was alone with Kazuya... There were those times where Kazuya scared him in an almost supernatural way... Even more those days when Kazuya looked troubled or angry... Things would happen... Lights would flicker, objects would brutally fall... Lee always wondered: Was it Kazuya or the mansion that was so creepy? Maybe both... or maybe it was just child fears... Probably...

Yet Lee did read somewhere that tormented children and teenagers sometimes developed some kind of psychic powers when troubled... Maybe Kazuya had those powers... He had been troubled and really was not normal... He definitively had something since things mostly happened when he was there... It happened less often now that they were adults but still, the uneasy ambiance could often be felt even if vase and trinkets didn’t fall down anymore...

But Kazuya also had that electric energy like his father, and ghosts were often detected by some electricity emanation... High EMF (electromagnetic field) readings, which paranormal investigators often used to detect ghost presence, could give people the feeling of being watched or even feelings of fear, sometimes even giving hallucinations... Electrical boxes could do this but could the Mishimas as well? The Mishimas did have something strange about them, that electric power, maybe because of their strong soul and maybe somehow making them frightening toward people (thought their fighting prowess could also do this...). But despite Heihachi having the same electrical energy as his son, Kazuya seemed creepier...

But the real question was: Could they boost my car if my battery was dead? thought Lee, imagining them tied up to his motor, trying to free themselves...

But ghosts emanated lots of electrical energy yet they also drained a lot from electrical appliances since they feed themselves on energy... Despite not being ghosts, could it be that Kazuya and his father drain too much of electricity for their electric powers? Their soul was abnormally strong... Yet Heihachi never provoked lights to flicker... or a car to shut down... Though that last one was aliens doing it. Even Kazuya never did it. But electricity really seemed related to every paranormal cases... It did give life to Frankenstein monster even though that story was invented but it did come from some theories...

Yet the mansion also still had that dark atmosphere sometimes... making Lee feel that other presences were there... Sometimes that very evil feel... But some people also say that houses can somehow absorb emotions... This house lived a lot of bad emotions... Anger, fear, sadness... Lee thought that maybe it was a good thing to leave the place... Too much negative energy around here...

Pushing those thoughts aside, telling himself once more that it probably was his imagination, Lee continued to stroll along the path, not wanting to get lost. He was thinking that he would have to come back home soon because the sky was turning darker. It would probably rain soon... Maybe even a thunderstorm... As he walked along the way, Lee suddenly noticed a small cabin, adorned with many Chinese decorations a little further from the path. As he approached, he noticed a small garden that seemed to have many vegetables growing in it. He then noticed an old man sitting on a bench. The man was dressed in an old Chinese clothing style and seemed in deep thoughts or meditating.

After having thought about all those haunted and creepy stories for a while, Lee somehow felt nervous to see that old traditional Chinese man coming out of nowhere, with his small cabin from another time... Somehow the ambiance seemed more peaceful around here than around the mansion, more zen and harmonious, but still... Was that old man a ghost? What was he doing in the middle of the Mishima gardens? Carefully approaching him, Lee said:

"... Konichiwa, Ojiisan…"

The old man turned toward him and said in Chinese:

"Oh, Lee Chaolan. Nǐ hǎo ma? (How are you?)"

Surprised that the man knew him and addressed him in his native language on a most casual way (which meant he probably wasn’t a ghost), Lee put his hand over his heart, somehow relieved after his scare, and replied in Chinese as well:

"I’m fine, Xièxiè. And how are you?"

"I am fine as well. You were surprised to see me here?" asked the old man who seemed slightly amused by Lee’s first reaction.

Not wanting to tell him he thought he saw a ghost, Lee simply replied:

"I just didn’t know some personnel were living in the gardens... And speaking Chinese... Are you the gardener?"

"Oh, I’m no personnel. I’m Wang Jinrei, a friend of your adoptive grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima. He allowed me to live here and his son Heihachi did as well. But your brother Kazuya doesn’t know of my existence and I would like it to remain so."

"... Why?"

"Despite your grandfather and father agreeing that I live here until my death, I don’t think that your brother would accept that I live on his property. As I learned, you will soon have to leave, so if he can expel his own brother to the streets, I don’t think he would care more about an old friend of his grandfather... Even if he loved his grandfather very much but... honestly I would prefer if he didn’t know. Sadly that curse changes everything..."

"...Curse? What curse?"

"You don’t know about the Mishima curse?"

"... No..."

"Have you ever noticed anything unusual about Kazuya and his father?"

"Their hair? Though I cannot really speak about strange hair..."

"No... even though the hair is kind of a Mishima thing as well but... It’s something more out of the ordinary."

"More seriously, their electricity? Though it’s not really a curse... I think."

"Yes, their electricity... The Mishimas are indeed very different from normal people... But I was talking about a curse. Something malevolent. I’m not sure but there is a dark force or something in their blood forcing them to turn against each other, peace will never reign among them... Jinpachi once told me something like that..."

"... A dark... force? So my adoptive father and my adoptive grandfather fought one another like Kazuya and his father?"

"Yes. Even if not at this level. In fact, Jinpachi and his son were not seeing eye to eye the direction the Mishima Zaibatsu should take. After many arguments, Heihachi somehow wrestled away the Mishima Zaibatsu from his father before he began to corrupt it by making military weapons... They still often argued about it. But Jinpachi decided to leave the Zaibatsu to his son to keep him satisfied and avoid confrontation, he hated confrontation, mostly with his family. Yet he still tried to convince his son to return to the old way...

But a lot of things happened during that time... Heihachi’s wife suddenly fell ill and died, then sometimes later, Jinpachi learned that Kazuya, who was only five years old, had fallen from a cliff and almost died... He began to think something was wrong, he knew about the curse since it was told in the family since generations even if it didn’t always happen but every man who became head of the family learned about it, so he decided to be closer to Kazuya to protect him since he suspected that Heihachi was now beating his son... I don’t really know all the details, Jinpachi told me to stay out of it since he didn’t want to involve me in the family affairs. I saw him less often since he mostly stayed at the mansion to protect Kazuya...

I once saw the little Kazuya, your grandfather had taken him outside of the property and we went to the Tenjon Matsuri with him. Kazuya was so happy to be at a festival and awed to see all those fireworks... But he was so shy... I didn’t dare address him, he feared me and he was glued to his grandfather... When he fell asleep in Jinpachi’s arms, I noticed that the poor kid had bruises on his legs and I told my friend who also noticed some on his arms... Yet I wasn’t sure it was caused by his father, I didn’t want to accuse him if that was not the case, maybe it was from the training Kazuya was having or maybe Kazuya fell down the stairs or something..."

"If he did fell down the stairs, it was probably with the help of our father... I know him..." said Lee on a resentful tone. Despite being quite angry at Kazuya right now, Lee knew how disgusting their father had been to his brother...

"Yes. But I didn’t really knew him then... Even Jinpachi wasn’t certain... Heihachi had never beaten his son until his wife passed away... He was a good father who loved Kazuya very much... Cheerful and proud of his son..."

"Heihachi loved Kazuya? That’s hard to believe..."

"Yes, he did. Yet even if Jinpachi didn’t really believe Heihachi was beating Kazuya or mostly didn’t want to believe it, he seemed really disturbed and said he needed to talk with his son... That he would train Kazuya himself... To take away some occasions for Heihachi to beat his son if that was the case and to train Kazuya so that he would be able to protect himself from his father if he needed to. And to interrogate Kazuya over all of this. Kazuya had become incredibly taciturn and never really said why he now hated his father... He just didn’t want to talk about him when with his grandfather. The only time he began to express himself, he mumbled ‘mama’ then started to cry and sob uncontrollably, choking over his sobs and Jinpachi had to calm him down and stop interrogating him. Maybe Kazuya just terribly missed his mother since he loved her deeply and wasn’t beaten by Heihachi at all... But why was he so angry at his father? Something was wrong... Jinpachi had to know... But he never got the time for it, those worries and suspicions apparently killed your adoptive grandfather since some times later, he died from a heart attack... Jinpachi was very strong and tough but all this story about Kazuya being mistreated and maybe his son being the cause, maybe because of some family curse, really took its tool on him... His heart was not as tough as his outside, he was too sensitive..."

Wang then added with some remorse:

"I should have done something to help the little boy after that... But I still didn’t know what happened and somehow didn’t want to believe Heihachi, who was mostly cheerful with me or anyone, could beat his little boy... Even Jinpachi wasn’t sure about it... or if he was, he never told me... and Kazuya feared me... I didn’t dare intrude on the family... I didn’t dare make myself known to the little boy and now that I see what he has become, I would prefer not to... But I should have done something then, yet I still don’t know what... Now Kazuya is like his father, and even worse... I don’t know if part of the curse is that each descendant will become even worse than his predecessor..."

Thinking about this, Wang Jinrei also remembered the dream he had some days after Jinpachi died. His friend appeared in it and told him: ” _In order to bring about peace the Mishima clan must be destroyed_ “. What did Jinpachi meant? Was it just a dream? Probably not... Had Jinpachi been killed by his son? Wang had never seen the body of his friend, he was only told by Heihachi that Jinpachi died... He was too naïve at the time to not really believe Heihachi. Or maybe didn’t want to believe Heihachi could have done this? Yet now, knowing what Heihachi was doing with the Mishima Zaibatsu, all the evil things... Wang did wonder if Heihachi would not have murdered his own father... With that curse... Yet he didn’t want to tell Lee already. He still wasn’t certain and already said a lot... Lee would probably draw his own conclusions...

Lee was indeed finding all of this quite suspicious. The mother died, then Kazuya almost died, then when the grandfather tries to get answers, he dies... Suddenly something Kazuya said long ago came back to him: ” _And they would get killed_ “... Did Heihachi killed them all? He was possessed or what? He hesitated before he asked:

"... Could that curse be caused by an evil presence? Something possessing them or roaming around the house?"

Despite having many times feared something supernatural, Lee always thought that Kazuya was emotionally tormented. He never really thought it may really be supernatural, or mostly always pushed that idea aside since it scared him but that old man seemed to imply something with that curse... All those strange phenomenons... Now that he was thinking of it... It could come from a curse... Kazuya sometimes seemed to have that evil aura... He sometimes became cruel and evil for nothing... Yet it could not be... But Heihachi called him so often Devil child... Yet again it may be only an insult used when Kazuya was being intolerable but... Kazuya did seem possessed... What if Heihachi had been possessed then and now it was Kazuya? Lee now had the feeling he may have always known about Kazuya being possessed, without realizing it... So that was the Mishima curse...

Then at that moment, a flash of lightning tore the sky and a few seconds later, the thunder rumbled and rain began to fall. The awaited thunderstorm began. As he got up from his bench, Wang replied:

"Who knows? Maybe some evil spirit is indeed invading them, making them act in a cruel and evil way. We don’t know how this curse started... Yet Jinpachi had never acted the evil ways that his son and grandson did... Maybe he resisted it or something... But despite how your adoptive brother now acts, I’m sure Kazuya would probably have been a kind person if he didn’t have that curse upon him... Jinpachi loved him very much... He saw the good in him... If Heihachi had tried to be kind with Kazuya, maybe he wouldn’t have turned out to be what he is today... Yet it was the curse... Kazuya has lost to it as well. His father was evil but Kazuya became even crueler..."

He then opened the door of his small cabin before he asked Lee:

"You want to come inside? It will soon rain cats and dogs. You want some tea?"

"With pleasure, thank you", answered the younger man as the older continued:

"Since all those events, I did inform myself a bit. I sometimes get out of the gardens to sell my vegetables and go see what is happening in the neighbourhood, I hear things... I have friends who let me know some things that goes at the Mishima Zaibatsu. What Jinpachi had started, the Mishima Zaibatsu, his son corrupted it and his grandson corrupted it even more... Jinpachi must be turning in his grave, knowing what it has become... Both Heihachi and Kazuya should not have control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, they are too evil... Only you can save it now and restaure its honor... You’re in the family yet you’re not directly affected by that curse destroying and corrupting the Mishimas... You’re a good person..."

Lee followed Wang inside his house as the thunder rumbled once more.


	20. Crime and Tournament

Two days later, Kazuya got out of his office and asked Lee:

"Get me the files on Joseph Delavigne, Marcelo Gordo, Heng Bao, Carol Mabbott and Hakim Al-Farzi. And get me some coffee."

"Yes, Kazuya-sama."

Lee then went to make some coffee and came back with it and the files requested by his brother. When Lee handed down the paper files, he asked his boss:

"Who are all these people? I don’t really see the tie for all of them..."

He then asked on a reproachful tone:

"You intend to do something to them?"

He had the feeling those people may be targets for assassination... Lee remembered how his adoptive grandfather’s friend, Wang Jinrei, just warned him of how Kazuya was destroying the Mishima Zaibatsu and how evil it had become since he was at its head. Wang told him many things Kazuya would have done, that Lee even ignored to this day but that many people told Wang.

Taking care of many files as personal secretary, Lee had witnessed as well many wrongdoings since a while... He already knew his adoptive father was not very kind and he had accepted it as the probably normal way to run a business yet probably a bit more ruthless than the normal way but Kazuya was far much worse.

But each times Lee tried to question some of Kazuya’s decision, his brother told him to shut up and mind his business... But Lee thought that somehow the Mishima Zaibatsu was his business... or would have been. Should be. Will be. One day.

Lee knew about the experiments done in the lab by the abducted scientist, Dr. Bosconovitch and by many others but he knew there were more experiments that he still ignored... For some reason, Kazuya forbade him to know about those experiments... He said that Lee had to focus mostly on the doctor but still Lee was never given any hint on what the east wing of the complex was working on and he was supposed to be the supervisor of the whole department... It was somehow insulting to have that title and not be allowed to know about everything... and now he would probably never know...

Yet having ‘supervised’ the whole complex, he was also as incriminated as his brother on whatever happened there if they were to be accused by someone... It was unwise to have accepted that position knowing that it was already compromised with an abduction and that his brother refused to tell him about things that probably were worse than this abduction or than testing on animals... But it also was that position that gave him so much joy and a feeling of fulfillment... Robotics was so interesting and fun... Lee learned a lot more about it under Doctor Bosconovitch’s guidance and had stored that knowledge in many flashdrives and CDs that he kept in his bedroom at home after his dismissal from the place. Before even being fired, he was studying them at home on his computer each day. And never told Kazuya he had copied those files for himself.

Yet that person or organization accusing them would have to be very powerful, maybe only the government could do something and even then, the Mishima Zaibatsu was protected. Not only were they bribing, threatening or even killing anyone who could trouble them but it also seemed as Wang told him, that Kazuya now allied himself with many evil organizations like Yakuzas, Triads and the Mafia... who were dealing in drugs, prostitution, slavery and other crimes that Heihachi would never have tolerated.

And Kazuya always was so mysterious in most of his deals... Lee hated to be kept in the dark... The Mishima Zaibatsu was indeed going deeper into crime and corruption and Lee didn’t even know about most of it... Lee thought he had to know about ‘his’ corporation’s doings so since Kazuya always refused to inform him, and to know more about many things, yesterday, Lee cracked the computer and hacked into the Mishima Zaibatsu network to go deeper into the files, a talent Kazuya ignored that Lee had, probably somehow underestimating him like Heihachi often did, but security was really tight and Lee had some troubles to get anything at all...

Yet he fell on that human trafficking criminal organization that Kazuya seemed to provide weapons to in exchange for slaves for Lee didn’t know what and it troubled him deeply. Human trafficking... Lee remembered those kids he had been friend with when he was living in the streets, who probably disappeared because of that... Ju-Long, Ting, Zhen, Ji-Hong... The stories about them, about what happened to them... How he and other street kids feared those suspicious people... Those fishy men sometimes going around the neighbourhood, trying to lure children...

Lee remembered how, one evening, some of them talked among themselves about him, about his strange hair, making comments he couldn’t quite understand since they were mostly whispering among themselves, even sometimes speaking in another language, before they called him, trying to lure him with some money... They were having such suspicious attitudes... Distrustful, he didn’t want to approach them, wondering why they were talking about him. He really had a bad feeling... It was late, no one was in the streets but him and those guys. Realizing he wouldn’t come, they started running after him. Luckily, he was really fast and quickly fled, taking some backstreets and quickly climbing some gutter to reach the roof where he stayed hidden for hours, fearing those hostile men roaming around. He didn’t know what they really wanted but it probably wasn’t anything good... They probably were those slavers taking children away...

Some days later, he learned that Ju-Long had disappeared, probably that night... Ju-Long was one of the first to welcome him when Lee found himself stranded in the streets after his parents died and he was crying alone... Ju-Long had shown him the best dumpsters where the food was fresher and less disgusting and shown him the safest places to sleep... And he probably was now dead... or a slave... or maybe living in a rich family like him?

Lee realized that he did disappear one day without any farewell when he followed Heihachi... Lee was curious to know if some people wondered about what happened to him... He had no one who was close enough so that he felt bad leaving them but he knew some people... Yet Ju-Long probably had not that chance... He probably was taken by some human-trafficking slavers...

And Kazuya was now allying himself with those kind of monsters... Those monsters who were maybe providing for the Mishima Heavy Industries’ east wing? What if humans were involved in experiments? Lee couldn’t even confront Kazuya on this, not only Kazuya would probably not listen but Lee had also accessed the computer illegally... He had to remember what to openly argue against and what to possibly act secretly against...

Lee wanted to get more knowledge on everything to know how corrupt the Mishima Zaibatsu really was. He had to do something... The old Wang Jinrei asked him to do something but apart from arguing with Kazuya, Lee didn’t know what... Kill Kazuya to get his inheritance? Lee wasn’t willing to go that far... At least, he could try to get more information... until he would be able to really do something... He could not really incriminate Kazuya or the Mishima Zaibatsu either since he was included in some of those crimes... If he became an informer, he would really have to get some absolution from justice to avoid prison as well... and he would probably not get the Mishima Zaibatsu... He had to overthrow his brother somehow, like Wang wanted.

But he didn’t understand: Why was that old man having such hopes over him? Yes, he wasn’t really part of the family, thus wasn’t affected by that Mishima curse but still...

Morally, he wasn’t much better than his adoptive father and brother... He did accept some more criminal jobs, showing he wasn’t that much better than Kazuya or their father... Well, maybe not as worse as them but still... He wasn’t irreproachable... He let many things go on without even lifting a finger... He had let the Mishima Zaibatsu being corrupted for fear of losing his father’s esteem and still yearning his approval but that never happened and he never even got his esteem... As Heihachi told him many times, he only was a disappointment... He had corrupted himself to please that man who never really cared about him... And then, he also feared losing the inheritance, his money, his comfort and well being... He loved the luxury he had... All his life he had endured his father or brother because he had hoped for something. First it was fear of having nothing at all, then of losing what luxury he had gained and then it was the hope of getting even more...

Since he had gained that chance of living a rich life, he had always feared of losing it... Despite being stepped on, he had even bowed before his brother to keep what he had and in the hope of getting more... And he had begun to corrupt himself even more... or closed his eyes again... Yet that man, friend of the adoptive Mishima grandfather he never knew, had asked him to do something... He told him he was a good person...

Maybe he wasn’t as selfish as he thought and that man saw it... Heihachi had raised him to fight for everything, to not share anything... But maybe he was not like that... After all, he did help Michelle Chang, even if it was out of guilt... He did love luxury but his first goal was to be accepted by his father and brother... and they never did. Then he turned to luxury... But those dishonorable practices the Mishima Zaibatsu was using, he always felt bad about it and never would do it if he had control of the corporation... Most of them repulsed him, mostly those Kazuya was doing... Lee had admired Kazuya’s self-assurance and determination for a while, like when Heihachi came to the office and insulted him after the Tournament, just the fact that Kazuya stood by his side helped him feel more confident (and cheeky) toward Heihachi. By his own attitude, Kazuya had helped him standing up to their father but now Lee had to stand up to Kazuya... It was time to get back his inheritance... What he worked for... What he deserved...

Reacting to Lee’ s indiscrete question, Kazuya mumbled in irritation:

"Each day... Each day you annoy me like this..."

Then looking at Lee with a hard gaze, Kazuya answered his question on a quite rude tone:

"You don’t have to see or know anything. You just have to obey."

"I thought that you would enlighten me on some files at least. Since the supervision of the science department of the Mishima Heavy Industries, you never entrusted me with anything", answered Lee, not too impressed by his brother’s harsh stare.

"And what happened there explains why you don’t get any other important assignments. I should never have given you that position, you became far more annoying since then."

"I became far more annoying since you took that position away from me, in fact", said Lee on a slightly resentful and taunting tone.

Kazuya knew that Anna had warned him over this...

"Whatever. You didn’t deserve it. If you did, you wouldn’t be annoying me right now, you would be doing your duty without a word while loyally waiting that I give it back to you once more."

"You would?" asked Lee on a doubtful tone.

"... I give to those who are loyal to me, not those who complain at the first problem. You’re lucky I even gave you back your old position with your endless failure record and new rebellious attitude."

"Humpf! Endless failure record... Oh, please... I only failed that one time. That’s all."

Kazuya interrupted him:

"Yes, one time but losing so many things, the doctor, the helicopter, the guards. And the costly damage done to the security system. And you also lost the two animals."

"You wanted to kill them anyway. That they died or went away doesn’t make much difference..."

"You were born stupid, right? I don’t want them to be discovered and that some annoying organizations track them to us again and come complaining. You have a job, you should be happy. It pays your expensive designer clothes and metrosexual needs. And if you’re still not happy, type this."

And Kazuya showed the paper he worked on since yesterday. Lee looked at it with some surprise.

"A second Iron Fist Tournament?"

"Yes. Since Oyaji survived all I sent him, I will personally take care of him once and for all. He’ll probably come back for the Mishima Zaibatsu... but he won’t leave the arena alive this time. I won’t let him."

Kazuya continued speaking and now personally addressed Lee:

"If you’re not happy with your unfulfilling secretary position, you’re free to participate if you wish... If you win, it will be the same as I did: You’ll win control of the Mishima Zaibatsu since you are somehow a Mishima."

Lee smiled, Kazuya finally recognized him...

His older brother then continued speaking:

"But if you dare present yourself to the competition and you lose, you’ll lose both the contest and your place here. Expect no more jobs from me, you won’t be welcome in the Mishima Zaibatsu anymore nor in the family. You can choose to not participate and keep your ‘worthless’ job as well with maybe hopes of getting more if you still show loyalty."

The adoptive younger brother then said on a calm tone:

"I’ll think about it."

Lee didn’t give a definitive answer but Kazuya already knew he would meet him in the arena since it didn’t take long for Kazuya to notice the sudden spark in Lee’s eyes when he showed him the paper. Lee tried to not look too interested despite his brother already seeing through his ambitious intentions since the contest was set to be only in three months so they would have to keep good relations until then... At least as good as it was possible... But no need to quarrel with Kazuya now since he would get everything in three months...

Yet the fact he suddenly calmed down, gave Kazuya even more a clue as to Lee’s probable participation... He probably wasn’t trying to be dutiful and loyal... Anna was right when she said Lee might not take everything without a word but it was all the better. It will be fun to completely bring him down... He’ll be more of a challenge that way than being a helpless suck-up... Lee was interesting to fight against when he was motivated...

* * *

After his job, Lee went to the Mishima gardens and excitedly knocked at Wang’s door.

"You don’t have to knock, I’m here", said Wang who was in his garden taking care of his vegetables.

"Oh."

Lee went to him, bowed and quickly added:

"Train me revered master! As you offered me last time! Kazuya declared an Iron Fist Tournament to be held in three months! I haven’t told Kazuya yet but I will participate! I must win! If I do, I get the Mishima Zaibatsu and everything you say that is corrupt shall be gone, I’ll make sure of it! I won’t let you down!"

The old man was amused by Lee’s enthusiasm and was quite happy that he was willing to fight for the honor of the Mishima Zaibatsu and restore it as it once was with Jinpachi... Jinpachi will be able to rest in peace... Moved by Lee’s resolution, he answered:

"Fine, young Chaolan. So tomorrow evening, come to my home and I’ll begin your training."

But Lee was now holding his electronic agenda and said:

"... I’m sorry but I won’t be able to be there. I have an appointment with my esthetician, then my massage therapist. Maybe next day between 6pm and 7pm I’m free. I finish work at six and go to my hairstylist at 7:30, so we got some time... I had intended to play with my new flying kite but that’s not too important..."

A little insulted by this, Wang replied:

"If you want to be serious about it, you’ll have to train more than one hour..."

"I am serious about it! That’s why I got my agenda. Right now, I’m just very busy. Maybe next week, I’ll have some more free time."

"You want to win or not?"

"Yes, but with elegance... I don’t want to look like some dirty bum..."

Wang was slightly discouraged.

"If you don’t put at least a bit of efforts into your training, I don’t see the use for me to help you."

"Well, I cannot leave my job... and many appointments are important... I also must prepare my boxes for my moving..."

Lee then mumbled to himself:

"Though what’s the use of moving if I am to come back once I win..."

Lee was quite embarrassed by all those things he had to do... But indeed, the venerable Wang was right, he had to be serious... He’ll probably have to cancel his dates with Chizu and Kiyoko... or put them both at the same time? They probably would refuse... Lee was slightly disappointed, he had just started dating again after months out of the dating scene and he would have to cancel... and space out or even completely call off some of his esthetical cares... But it was the Mishima Zaibatsu after all... And he may have lost last time because of his lifestyle... He had to remember that...

Seeing Lee’s hesitation in front of the sacrifices he would have to make, Wang sighed.

"For now it will do, we have three months ahead of us. But you’ll have to change your habits quickly if you really want to win the Tournament... Preparations must be both physical and mental... Now come here, Chaolan."

Wondering what Wang wanted, Lee went toward him. The old man then quickly grabbed him and swiftly flipped him down with ease. Lee brutally fell down on his back with a grunt.

"See? You are not prepared in either ways", said the old man looking at Lee from above as the silver-haired demon was still lying down on his back.

"But I wasn’t aware you would attack me..." replied Lee who was now sitting on the ground, still surprised by the aggressive move.

"Your reflexes must be sharp at any time. If someone attacked you, you would have to react quickly. Beside, once you’ll really make your desire to participate known to Kazuya, you can expect some murder attempts on you from his part or from his assassins. Of all participants, aside from your father, you’ll be the most dangerous since you can steal the Zaibatsu from him."

"He wouldn’t have offered me to participate if he really feared me... Unless he wanted to get rid of me..."

Which could really be the case, thought Lee... He wants me to participate to have a reason to fire me or like for Heihachi... get rid of me in the Tournament. But probably not to kill me outside of the ring... As Lee was now wondering about this, Wang continued speaking on a serious tone:

"Don’t trust him and be prepared for anything. You know how he keeps sending assassins to kill your father. You’ll be a target as well."

Lee still wasn’t certain that Kazuya would go that far with him... They did not hate each other to that point... Yet they were constantly arguing... and the thought that he wasn’t fully certain that Kazuya would not try to get him killed was kind of disturbing... Kazuya was turning more evil but he probably wouldn’t do this, wouldn’t he? Wang noticed his doubts and told him:

"I’m not sure either. But you have to be prepared."

Lee knew that Kazuya had done a lot of horrible things to many people, and even if he never tried to kill him, he did a lot of mean things to him as well... Lee realized that he was indeed involving himself in something that could be very dangerous... Last Tournament, no one threatened his life, he lost because of his way of life and carelessness but now those attitudes may lead to more serious consequences... Still not certain Kazuya would go to that extreme, Lee nevertheless got his eyes opened to the possibility. Now realizing the importance of a disciplined training, Lee got up, respectfully bowed to the old man and said:

"Yes, lǎoshī (teacher)."

Wang outlined a smile, satisfied that Lee now understood.

So after his long working hours, Lee was always going to meet the old master in the Mishima gardens to train, then in the dojo near once he was definitively expelled from the Mishima property. He should stop working to concentrate on his training but his expensive lifestyle cost him a lot so he’d rather almost not sleep since Kazuya was always giving him tons of work even more than before (to slow him down in his training since he knew Lee would participate) and train with his free time than leave his job and rely on his actual money to live and train. He left all his hobbies, dates and beauty appointments but his credit cards, his sport car, his new apartment, they all had to be paid... He didn’t have enough savings to live on them right now... He had made some investments but he could not take that money out now already either...

Wang was sometimes worried over the fact that Lee was still working and sleeping so few since it could have an important impact on the Tournament... Not sure about Lee’s chances to win, Wang also decided to participate to try to get some dangerous adversaries out of Lee’s way... Kazuya had to be stopped...

* * *

Meanwhile, after Lee had just moved out of the mansion, Kazuya called Jun.

"Hello?"

"Jun-chan? This is Kazuya Mishima. Are you free tomorrow in the evening? I could send the limousine to pick you up and we could go to some restaurant then spend some times at my mansion..."

* * *

That night, looking at Tokyo’s city lights from his eleventh floor balcony of his new apartment, Lee thought that it was finally a good thing to have moved away from his brother... It was now his own apartment, no grumpy Kazuya would be walking around... He could invite whoever he wished... He still had to work under Kazuya’s orders, witness his evil deeds but soon all this would change... After Heihachi, after Kazuya, it was his turn to get the Mishima Zaibatsu... He was ready to face any obstacles, the venerable old Wang would help him reach that goal... Like the city lights, the futur looked bright... Excellent...


	21. Assassination attempt

Lee had occupied his new eleventh floor apartment since yesterday. It was so fun to have his own apartment, his own freedom... Like when he lived in the United States...

Once all my boxes done and the rooms clean, maybe I should throw a party, thought Lee who went to sit at his table on his balcony to eat his breakfast before work.

But then the shame of having lost the Tournament and his prestigious position in front of his friends, that he hadn’t seen since then except for a few exceptions, cooled down his excitement... He was not to stay hidden from his friends all his life but still... Not now. He should have done the party when he was head of the Mishima Heavy Industries... But he didn’t have time... Anyway, it was agreeable to gaze at the city and the whole waking urban life from above... He didn’t need anyone with him to enjoy this...

Some hours later, he went to the office and met Kazuya in the elevator.

"Hi!"

"You’re late. Two hours late."

"Yes... Traffic..."

In fact, Lee stayed at home a little bit more late, just to test and enjoy his freedom. He didn’t have to go with Kazuya in the limousine at the same hour, didn’t have to come to work when Kazuya told him... He was free. Of course, he had a job, so he wouldn’t abuse but this time it was fun to irritate his brother a little...

"You’ll have to take that factor into account next time, it’s been taken into account on your pay check though", sternly said his older brother.

"Yes, I will", answered Lee on a somehow detached tone. It was worth the price if Kazuya suffered for it...

Without asking if it had been the case, Lee hoped Kazuya was stuck with some of his work while he had not arrived yet... It would be fun if Kazuya had been forced to answer the phone himself and would have received lots of calls... Lee hoped Kazuya had a lot of problems this morning... Looking at the polystyrene coffee cup Kazuya was holding, it seemed his poor brother had to go all the way to the cafeteria to serve himself some coffee... Excellent...

* * *

Once in his office, putting his polystyrene coffee cup on his desk, Kazuya thought: That irritating brother seems so cheeky today... He’ll probably worsen now that he left the house... Thinking he is more free to annoy me or something, probably wanting some kind of silly revenge...

Kazuya knew that Lee was trying to irritate him with his little attitude, but he didn’t care. Lee was so childish, no wonder he got spanked like a kid for so long... But the real time for any revenge should be at the Tournament... Beside, Lee was the one losing money on his paycheck right now...

* * *

That evening, Nina Williams had succeeded infiltrating the Mishima mansion. She was waiting to ambush Kazuya Mishima when she noticed his limousine coming down the road by the window of the second floor where she was hiding. But she was surprised when she noticed that after he got out, Kazuya courteously helped a woman getting out of the vehicle as well.

Both were dressed as if they had a romantic evening together, not some business meeting... That was unexpected... Nina had waited until the adoptive brother completely moved out to be able to kill Kazuya without any interferences, she had waited for him to be alone in his mansion so that she could take him by surprise. His office was too heavily guarded while the mansion had guards around but mostly no one but Kazuya inside, except for four helpless servants all confined to their quarters. But now that it was done, Kazuya Mishima was inviting a date to his house. As Nina had heard, Kazuya Mishima never was interested in romance before... But was it really one...? Still looking at them, Nina made a displeased expression: Yes, it was. The way he looked at her, the way he held her waist, the way she smiled at him... Okay, now that was it: They were kissing. There was no ambiguity anymore even if Nina knew since a moment.

Looking at her pistol, Nina wondered: Should I kill them both? I should leave no witnesses... but no innocent victims either...

Nina always did her work clean. No collateral damage unless there was no choice. So as discreetly as she came, Nina left the mansion. She’ll be back tomorrow, when the woman would be gone...

* * *

The next day, after his work, Kazuya went home and started to look at all his files. He was alone in his big mansion. No annoying Lee anymore. No lovely Jun either but he would see her again... Right now, she had to leave for a job in Hokkaido for some time, she didn’t know how long. Kazuya didn’t know for what reason but this time, it really wasn’t his fault... Unless those two experimental animals that Lee lost had been freed and found there but when Jun told him she had to leave this morning, she didn’t say anything about this, so he probably really was innocent of whatever was happening in Hokkaido right now. It felt strange not having anything to be blamed for this time... They probably had a normal lover evening and morning... And night... Kazuya longed to see her again...

Jun... She made him feel so serene... He felt so serene that he didn’t even remember what he did today, apart from thinking of her. He should stop, he had work to do...

Suddenly a sharp pain hit him on the shoulder. When Kazuya touched the place he had been hit, he noticed some small dart. Taking it out, he also noticed some kind of poison on it. Beginning to feel dizzy, he knew someone was here and trying to kill him. Turning back, he noticed a blond woman. He had already seen her when she tried to kill him the first time.

"You! You’re Anna’s sister! She told me you’d probably be back soon..."

"Humpf. I thought the poison would work faster but whatever. I also have this", said the unemotional assassin while showing a gun with a silencer.

Now that he threw his brother out, and that he didn’t have a love tryst like yesterday, she could act and honor her contract. She pointed the gun at him and said:

"You’ve got a date with death."

As Kazuya was now too numb from the poison to react, Nina then fired him in the heart.

"Argh!"

Kazuya fell down, unconscious. But as Nina approached him, he painfully got up.

"Unngghhh…"

"Again? What a nuisance. Whatever. It’ll just cost me more bullets..."

And Nina shot him again; this time, five shots in the back and neck. Kazuya fell down once more.

Looking at her downed adversary, Nina gave him some kick in the rib to test his state but got surprised when Kazuya swiftly grabbed her ankle.

"Still not dead?!"

She tried to free herself but his grip was too strong, so Nina shot him again.

"Time to die!"

Yet the bullet somehow got deflected now as some bat looking wings suddenly ripped his shirt and spread apart, protecting him. His head also seemed to transform as horns grew on it and his skin started to turn purple while the monster started getting up again. His eyes were now red and a third eye suddenly grew on his forehead.

"What the...? You must be joking!" said the now surprised assassin as she backed away from the frightening sight, the monster having let go of her ankle to get up. She was used to seeing many things but had never seen such a creature! Even if she didn’t want to admit it, the mansion already had a sinister atmosphere but now that creature before her emanated some kind of strong evil and Nina felt fear...

"You think you can kill me so easily, mortal? Humhumhahahha…"

The creature in front of her was speaking with a strange voice, not the one Kazuya Mishima normally had. There was a strange deeper intonation in it... His eyes were now fully glowing red... Taking back her normal unimpressed attitude, Nina told him:

"I don’t know what you are but I’m here to kill you anyway..."

Even in his Devil form, Kazuya made that usual lopsided grin, feeling the fear in Nina’s tone and anticipating the fight, or maybe the slaughter...

Yet Nina was no ordinary person either, she wouldn’t let herself be killed so easily. But she would ask compensation to her employers, they didn’t mention that part...

"I would probably need some Holy water but I think a grenade will do just as good. Better in fact", said the assassin who really thought that thing looked like the Devil of her Irish Catholic upbringing but she was far from being religious, so she believed more in the power of a grenade over Holy superstitions. That man must just have been genetically modified or something in his Mishima Heavy Industries laboratories...

Quickly backing away, Nina threw the grenade at the monster who swiftly evaded by jumping in the air and flying over her since the ceiling was high enough for the monster to use his flying abilities. As the grenade exploded near the desk, sending burning papers, burned pieces of computer and desk everywhere, the winged creature landed behind Nina who quickly turned back and kicked him in the stomach. The monster backed away before he replied with a powerful punch, making Nina fall back beside the fire that had now started with the grenade.

Quickly getting up, Nina regretted having let panic get the best of her. She was supposed to act discreetly, not put the house on fire... But that thing... She could only think of using her strongest attacks against it... Trying not to get impressed, she attacked once more with a combo of punches and kicks to which the creature savagely replied with his fists and feet, while also scratching her with his sharp claws.

Both where still fighting quite ferociously when the fire alarm began to ring. Nina thought she would have to get away, maybe using the now invading smoke as cover, so turning her back at the monster, she quickly started running toward the door while coughing under that also irritating smoke. But before she could reach the door, Nina got hit in the back by a powerful beam from the creature’s third eye and fell down. Getting up as quickly as she could, despite the now intense pain she was feeling, Nina quickly opened the door. But she was welcomed by a kick from a stiletto high heel in her face and fell down on her back. Already weakened by the many wounds the monster inflicted her and by the smoke inhaling, Nina fell down unconscious on the floor. Anna stared at her for a moment before she gazed around, trying to see if Kazuya was alright. Did Nina had the time to kill him and put the place on fire before she tried to escape?

While the firefighters now entered the place, Anna noticed Kazuya from behind some smoke. Apart from rubbing his neck that seemed to hurt, Kazuya looked okay. Then coughing under the smoke, he calmly walked toward Anna, who told him:

"I came as soon as I learned about the attack..."

Anna was looking at her sister being taken away from the fire, somehow slightly disappointed that she came too late to really confront her and also slightly embarrassed that she came too late to protect her boss and friend.

As they both got out of the mansion while the firefighters were trying to hold the fire, Anna noticed that Kazuya’s shirt had a large ripped hole in the back. And no bloody wound under... The shirt also had strange bullet holes where Kazuya seemed to have bled but despite some blood, still had no wounds on his flesh... Or barely...

Both looking at the mansion where smoke was coming from the roof, Anna said:

"I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you when Nina would strike... I was trying to get info on the next attack she would plan but I failed... I’m sorry I wasn’t here."

More worried about the mansion than about anything else, Kazuya replied as he stared at his family residence:

"Thank you but I did not need your help."

Turning his head toward the still unconscious blond woman, he said:

"Yet now that assassin will pay for what she has done. Anna, kill her."

Despite looking calm, Kazuya was really angry at that attack and Anna could feel that he wanted to avenge himself from that attack. Unbeknown to Anna, Kazuya also wanted to prevent Nina from telling about his Devil side... Yet Anna stayed before the unconscious Nina and couldn’t use her gun. After a while of hesitation, she said:

"... I... cannot."

Kazuya looked at her, waiting for an explanation. Looking embarrassed, Anna explained herself:

"I want to confront Nina myself. I cannot kill her after someone else has already beaten her... You did most of the fight..."

Noticing Kazuya’s stern air, she added:

"... But if you do ask for it... ...I shall do it..."

After a moment, letting Anna hesitantly lift her gun toward her sister’s head, Kazuya put his hand over her arm and lowered it, lowering her weapon. He said:

"Let her live. I could have use for her..."

Now smiling evilly while the mansion behind him was still burning, Kazuya continued speaking:

"... in our scientific experiments."

"Oh. Okay..."

Somehow relieved to not have to kill her sister already, Anna now seemed to find that experiment alternative quite interesting. Depending on what experiment, it could even be fun. So she added:

"That’s a good idea..."

* * *

That morning as he came to the office, Lee noticed that Kazuya wasn’t there. He must be in some business trip, though it was strange that he didn’t notify him... Something was strange... Lee asked some people about Kazuya’s absence and no one knew anything about it. Lee then pushed it aside and began to work. Maybe he was simply late. He didn’t wish to see Kazuya that much anyway...

Late in the afternoon, Kazuya had not shown up, so Lee began to worry. At the end of the day, he called his brother on his phone but since there was no answer, he took his car and went to the Mishima mansion. While driving, he wondered what would he do if for some reason, Kazuya had died. Maybe he was murdered, maybe he fell down his balcony and broke his neck, maybe he had a heart attack, maybe he even killed himself under the harmful influence of the Mishima curse? Lee suddenly realized that the answer was not the most brotherly one... If Kazuya had died, he would get the Mishima Zaibatsu all for himself... And since a while, he and Kazuya always kept getting more distant toward each other... Like when Kazuya first ‘died’, Lee had gotten over it, he would again... In fact, even more quickly than last time...

At the mansion, the guards told him there was a murder attempt over Kazuya last night and that a fire broke out in some part of the mansion but most of it was now intact. They told him that Kazuya then left with some of his bodyguards but the guards didn’t know where. But Kazuya was fine, so they suggested Lee to not worry about that. Lee didn’t worry, in fact, he was now slightly disappointed... yet also ashamed to be... He also wondered who tried to kill Kazuya... Not that it was suspects lacking...

* * *

That morning at the Mishima Heavy Industries...

Kazuya, Anna and some guards had brought Nina to the laboratories. Kazuya had already many human test subjects but he had to pay for those slaves brought by the human trafficking groups he was dealing with. Now he had a free test subject, so no need to waste her by ending her life even if it was the first thing he wanted to do to her.

Now that Doctor Bosconovitch was gone, Kazuya had hired another scientist to replace him: Doctor Abel, an evil man ready to do any experiment Kazuya asked of him without any moral questioning. Doctor Abel knew about many of Doctor Bosconovitch’s experiments since as his personal rival and enemy, he kept spying on and stealing Doctor Bosconovitch’s inventions so he somehow was the perfect replacement for using and completing the doctor’s inventions. He had offered his services to Kazuya when he learned about the doctor’s liberation since Kunimitsu explained what happened when she sold Alex and Roger to him. Both the animals were now captive in the evil doctor’s laboratory elsewhere, (not wanting to show the Mishima Zaibatsu he had bought their experiments) but after having realized Kunimitsu’s treachery, Yoshimitsu had banished her and was now actively looking for them.

Nina, who was now into an artificial coma, had been placed in the Cold sleep machine like three other test subjects as Kazuya and Anna were looking at them. As they both were observing Nina, Kazuya smiled and told Anna:

"She is the perfect test subject for the Cold sleep machine that Doctor Bosconovitch have left behind and never fully tested."

Yet Anna didn’t seem that amused. She nervously looked at her unconscious big sister before she asked:

"So, as you say, she will be cryogenically preserved in this?"

"Indeed. She seems tough enough to resist it... and if not..."

Kazuya made a gesture like he didn’t care.

"The machine is quite safe", said the doctor. "I have taken care of the remaining flaws in Bosconovitch’s calculations."

In fact, Doctor Abel did nothing but replicate the machine to try to understand it since Doctor Bosconovitch already had completed the original two weeks before he escaped but the evil doctor wanted to get credit for its success. He mostly wanted to be certain he really understood by making those three replicas. It not, those machines may be less safe...

But Anna asked Kazuya again:

"A whole twenty years?"

"Yes. It’s far enough time to see if it worked and not too long because I want to see the results."

Anna replied nothing despite looking quite troubled. The doctor then activated the machines. But after the machines started to function, Anna who kept getting more and more agitated, suddenly interrupted.

"Stop!"

"What?" asked Kazuya who somehow wasn’t surprised that she would interrupt, knowing her strange love/hate relation with her sister. Yet it was out of the question that he would release Nina who just tried to kill him even if Anna would beg him. He hated that woman, she didn’t deserve to be freed. She deserved to suffer... Kazuya was now full of hate and anger, far from how he was before the attack...

But the doctor said:

"We cannot stop. The cryogenic process has begun. If we interrupt, we will kill the subjects."

"Kill them?" asked Anna as she still seemed troubled.

"Yes. The intense cold will instantly kill them with a traumatic shock."

"So they are gone for twenty years?"

"Yes. We cannot change the programming", answered the doctor while Kazuya made a small satisfied smile.

Anna seemed troubled and turning toward Kazuya, she said on an embarrassed tone:

"Kazuya... I want to go as well."

"What?!"

Now Kazuya was really surprised. He had not expected this.

"If my sister goes, I need to go as well", answered the younger sister. "Can you take one of the others out?"

"But we are not even certain if it will work, that is why we are testing with worthless beings", said Kazuya as Anna gazed worriedly at her sister who now seemed barely visible since the window was now covered in frozen mist.

"But... I have to follow my sister... if I want to beat her myself and... if I want to know if she really killed our father..."

She didn’t say and didn’t even really know but maybe she would even feel alone without her big sister... She then added:

"I do not fear to test it. You also never feared to test anything yourself", said Anna to Kazuya, who wondered what she was talking about. He would indeed probably not fear to test something if he had to but he never did... Anna was referring to the strange ‘regeneration’ he seemed to have experimented with his blood stained shirt yet with no wounds under it but she didn’t mention it.

She thought that Kazuya had been a test subject of his own laboratories’ experiments. And if Kazuya tested his own experiments, why should she fear? She didn’t know what happened to him but he did survive multiple bullets... or something seemingly alike. The Mishima Heavy Industries were making reliable stuff and Doctor Bosconovitch was known for being one of the best scientists. She also trusted Kazuya to not willingly hurt her and if for some reason, Kazuya would not be the Mishima Zaibatsu CEO anymore, if he died or even was betrayed by Lee since Anna really felt something could happen between them, the new CEO in any case would probably be Lee and she knew he would take care of her as well. Once he would learn about those experiments, of course.

Kazuya thought that her decision didn’t make much sense and tried to dissuade her but Anna insisted, so he reluctantly accepted, suspecting that Anna probably liked her sister more than she pretended and did not want to be separated from her. Yet he would lose a friend and a bodyguard...

Kazuya hesitated but then told Doctor Abel to take the test subject of the original machine out of it. Anna would have the original machine made by Bosconovitch, not a probably cheaper replica. They were based on the original one but Kazuya found them less reliable. If only one person had to get out of there alive, it should be Anna. The others could all die for all he cared. The doctor then stopped the original machine and opened it before the body of the now dead test subject was taken out by some assistants. Kazuya showed the frozen corpse to Anna and said:

"See? He died. Once you’ll be in it, you’ll have to stay comatose and frozen all those twenty years. You’re ready for this?"

Anna only nodded in acknowledgment. The doctor then injected her some sedative to put her in an artificial coma and Anna went into the machine. Lying down into the machine, she thanked Kazuya for his concern.

"I still don’t understand your decision", replied Kazuya.

"I guess my rivalry with my sister is too strong. I told you, I didn’t understand myself. But I have to."

And glancing one last time at her sister, then putting her hands like a corpse in a coffin, she closed her eyes, waiting for the sedative to work.

Doctor Abel could see Anna’s heartbeat on the computer, the brunette seemed really nervous but he didn’t say anything, he just didn’t care. Kazuya still stared at Anna with incomprehension until the latter opened her eyes again and asked him:

"Is my hair combed well? Is my makeup okay?"

"Yes. It is."

"You just don’t care, right? I have to look good, in case my prince comes and wakes me up..." jokingly said the smiling brunette since she really felt nervous. She had to joke to feel less nervous and afraid. She then said:

"Say goodbye to Chaolan for me... Tell him I’ll see him... later."

Anna then smiled again before she kissed Kazuya from afar and closed her eyes once more.

"You’re strange, Anna... But don’t worry, your machine will be taken care of with the most attentive cares."

Kazuya didn’t care for her makeup but did care for her... Not in the romantic sense, Kazuya had only been attracted to Jun that way, but in the friend sense. She and Bruce had been the only real friends he ever had. Even if Anna had some crazy sides like Lee... He could see why those two were getting along well. But Lee was annoying. If Lee was sent into such a machine one day, Kazuya knew he wouldn’t follow him. He wouldn’t even care... That was why he was somehow so impressed by that sisterly love. Even if Anna refused to call it like that, it looked like that...

Anna was now asleep with the sedative she was given, so the machine closed before it filled with frozen mist and they would all awaken in twenty years.

Still under the shock of Anna’s decision, Kazuya, who had also intended on making multiple tests on the frozen prisoners, ordered that nothing was done to Anna, no experiments, no mistreatments. Yet, unbeknown to Anna, her sister Nina would serve in the new experiment to create the ultimate super soldier. Kazuya had been impressed by her fighting skills during the assassination attempt and decided that her genes would be used to create one of those super soldier children they were working on in the Mishima Heavy Industries’ east wing.

* * *

Some days later, noticing Anna never came to flirt with him anymore, Lee went to his brother’s office and asked Kazuya:

"Where is Anna? It has been a while I did not see her..."

He added with some worry and concern in his voice:

"... Since the attempt on your life, in fact... Has she been killed?"

She was Kazuya’s bodyguard, so she could very well have died at the hands of an enemy... But Kazuya answered on a casual tone as he kept signing papers:

"She is on duty."

"Special operations?"

"Very special operation."

"What do you mean?"

"A very long operation. But she told me to tell you goodbye from her. That she would see you later or something like that. I forgot to tell you."

"She told you to tell me goodbye? How much time will she be away?" asked Lee with some worries before he added:

"Why didn’t she tell me herself?"

Lee knew that Anna was really on Kazuya’s side, that she couldn’t be totally trusted, he liked her but never trusted her. But if she had problems and needed him, he would still help her... They were friends... She was telling everything to Kazuya but she seemed to have helped him keep his job, he owed her... Did someone or even maybe Kazuya, killed her? She normally came to kiss him goodbye before a mission...

"She had to leave quickly. She was following her sister", answered Kazuya on the same casual tone as before.

Now realizing that it was Nina who tried to kill Kazuya since she had tried last time, Lee thought that indeed Anna was obsessed with her sister, so it made sense that she followed her if Nina fled.

"Oh. I see. Well, I hope she will be fine."

"She will."

Lee was relieved, knowing his brother’s usual bluntness, Kazuya would never have hidden something from him to spare him some pain or whatever, so he was telling the truth now. And he probably didn’t hurt her either. Just the fact that she was after Nina explained everything. Anna was alive and okay.

Yet it was sad he wouldn’t have her company for a while... But now that Lee was hanging with someone wishing to overthrow Kazuya, thinking even more about the idea himself, maybe it wasn’t the time to have too much company coming from around his adoptive brother...


	22. Return of an old acquaintance

Monday, less than one week before the Second Iron Fist Tournament that would begin Saturday...

Late in the evening after his work and his training with Wang Jinrei, Lee was coming back to his apartment. After getting out of the elevator, he suddenly noticed some letter in front of his door.

_Please meet me at Toho Cinema Shibuya_

"Hum... It’s written in not too good Japanese... The hiragana are clumsily written, not fluid... So it’s someone from elsewhere... or a child. Or a trap."

With all the late events, Lee had developed a small distrustful and paranoid side. It was not long ago that Kazuya had been victim of a murder attempt and Kazuya himself could try something on him as Wang warned him... He didn’t seem so already, since Lee had been quieter over his recriminations, waiting for the Tournament to change things, they kind of were getting along not too badly but Kazuya was sometimes so unpredictable... Beside he wouldn’t warn him of some murder attempt if he wanted to kill him. And Kazuya had turned quite paranoid himself since the attack, and security had been increased a lot both at the office and at his mansion. Because not only could assassins try to come and kill him but there was also always that Manji Clan who still roamed around the Mishima Zaibatsu and their father who was somewhere, in fact Lee had no idea where Heihachi was now, but who could be dangerous anyway. Yet despite those dangers threatening both him and his brother, Lee had not completely lost his carefree side...

"Maybe it’s a beautiful girl too shy to directly ask me out... Well, it doesn’t cost anything to go take a look... I’m not supposed to date for now, I’m not even supposed to go out this late but... I’ll just go take a look. The person didn’t specify any hour, maybe they are not even there anymore but whatever..."

So Lee took his car and drove to the cinema. Once there, he wandered around, trying to notice any person who could be looking for him.

"I hope the person manifest themselves soon because I want to go to sleep... Maybe I shouldn’t have come, I work early tomorrow... It’s probably a joke..."

Deciding to wait a little more, seeing if anyone would manifest themselves before he would leave, Lee took a cigarette from his wallet and put it to his mouth. Lee knew it was a bad habit, Wang scolded him about it, even his father scolded him over this (probably more for the heck of scolding him than for any actual concern for his health though), Kazuya told him he stank but whatever, he had a lot of bad habits, it was no big deal... and he was trying to stop but just needed it sometimes... But before Lee could light his cigarette, a blond woman approached him and tapped his shoulder.

"Hi, Lee Chaolan. I’m sorry but I need to speak to you..."

Lee turned around. It was indeed a beautiful girl but despite her blond hair, Lee recognized her straightaway: Michelle Chang. She was still wearing a wig.

"Michelle Chang? What are you doing here?"

"Please follow me over there. It’ll be more discreet."

Michelle led him to a discreet corner where they could speak more freely. She then began to talk:

"I had to look for your address in the phone book but I finally found you. I guess there are not too many Lee Chaolan around Tokyo..."

"Indeed. I’m the one and only yours truly."

Lee slightly bowed to her before he asked:

"But what is it? What are you doing in Japan? And disguised?"

Michelle looked troubled and said:

"I’m sorry but you are somehow the only one I can count on... You helped me last time without asking anything in return, so I trust you."

"Count on for what? Does it have anything to do with the amulet? It’s been stolen or something?"

"Far worse. You don’t know what happened to my mother? Are you still working for them?"

Lee gazed at her with a worried expression: Had madam Chang been murdered like her husband?

"Something happened to her?"

"The Mishima Zaibatsu captured her. They want me to fight in the Tournament for the amulet... The new boss, Kazuya Mishima, said he wanted to win it fairly and confront me for it but they captured my mother to force me to come..."

Lee was angry: So his evil brother kept abducting people... Lee had let his father do many crimes out of respect he previously felt he owed him but Kazuya did not deserve that respect. Lee still somehow considered that, despite being the eldest and the real Mishima, Kazuya had usurped the ‘throne’ from him, mostly now that he had a supporter on his side in the person of Wang Jinrei... And if it was to only do crimes as worse or even more than Heihachi’s... Kazuya didn’t deserve the Mishima Zaibatsu at all... Still troubled by everything happening to her and her mother, Michelle added:

"I don’t have much freedom either. He forced me to take a room in one of the Mishima Hotels so I can’t be out for too long without anyone knowing. That’s why I disguised myself once more to try to meet you. Don’t worry, I really checked to see if I was not followed... and put my wig only later of course..."

Lee was so exasperated right now at his brother’s incessant evil deeds... Unlike their father, who sometimes committed crimes, Kazuya never seemed to stop... It somehow seemed to be his main motivation... It seemed he really was possessed... Lee had tried to undo the damage done to the Changs as much as he could and Kazuya was now destroying all this... Knowing Kazuya, he could kill madam Chang anytime, that Michelle participated in the Tournament or not. He was as bad as their father and even worse... Maybe he should really have died with that murder attempt...

Lee thought he should be more active in trying to overthrow his brother... Yet that Tournament may change everything, so Lee didn’t want to spoil everything either by getting caught for treason and incriminating himself before the Tournament... Yet maybe he should arrange for something should he lose the Tournament... Nothing was assured, with how he was beaten last time, Kazuya was maybe really stronger than him... Maybe he had to somehow wrestle the Mishima Zaibatsu legally from his brother, but again he did corrupt himself by accepting that job at the Mishima Heavy Industries... He could not use the legal way while not incriminating himself as well... Lee regretted once more to not have won the first Tournament... He should have had the Mishima Zaibatsu... Yet despite all that revolt he had inside, he answered on a calm tone:

"I didn’t know about all this. But I’ll help you. Yet let’s do it safely, you do as he asks, participate in the fights as long as you can..."

Michelle interrupted him and said on a slightly nervous tone:

"It may not be for very long. With my wound last time, I fear I won’t be able to offer much challenge and I fear Kazuya Mishima will then hurt my mother since he said he wanted a challenge..."

"We’ll act fast. I’ll try to find where your mother is to try to free her. I still work there so I can access the computers. I’ll try to do it very discreetly..."

"So you will help me?" asked Michelle who seemed relieved by his answer. She really didn’t know anyone else around here... She really felt lost and powerless... Just the fact to know that she was not alone anymore gave her much courage and the strength to go on.

Lee had helped Michelle flee Japan last time and he would not let her or her mother be harmed as well now. He reassuringly smiled to Michelle and said:

"Yes. Everything will be okay. Do not worry. So just keep a low profile and do as he asks, prepare for the Tournament. I’ll try to contact you if I find something on your mother."

"We should decide for some rendezvous spot. To meet or to simply leave some notes to the other since I don’t think we will always be able to meet."

"Excellent idea!"

And quickly deciding for a meeting point, as discreetly as they met, they discreetly left each other.

* * *

The next day, late at night, still at the Mishima Zaibatsu office, Lee was trying to access the computer network from his desk. Apart from the many guards patrolling, almost no one was at the office and with the ton of work Kazuya gave him, Lee was used to often work alone that late, so he didn’t look suspicious to the security guards... Luckily, he didn’t leave his job at the Zaibatsu this week as he thought to do... Having paid his whole rent, debts and all for the month, he could now afford to do so if he didn’t spend for anything else but his food. Those debts and bills had kept him from doing so too soon but now it was possible... yet he had remained in post just to get some more funds should he somehow need it. It was a luck that Michelle asked him now because in one week, once the Tournament would begin, he would definitively be gone from here, that was for certain, because despite only telling him he wouldn’t want to see him once he lost, Kazuya would probably not want to see him anymore already and their relation would probably turn really bad. Yet it was another training evening that had fallen through to look for those information...

After a while, he had finally succeeded to access Michelle’s file. Maybe more about her mother and her location was in it... If not, he would have to look elsewhere... He really hoped some hint was in it, he already had enough work like it was...

Lee was reading the files when he suddenly felt a presence beside him. He turned his head and saw that sumo guy, Ganryu, one of his brother’s bodyguards. Was Kazuya having one of his secret meeting with those crime organizations like sometimes in the conference room, right now? Lee thought that he definitively did not chose the right time to look into the computer... For a moment, he felt troubled since Ganryu would report to Kazuya... Yet he was only a bodyguard, he probably didn’t know the work Lee had to do, so if he acted normally, Ganryu wouldn’t feel the need to report what he was seeing right now...

"Wow... She’s so beautiful... Who is she?" suddenly asked the sumo wrestler as he gazed lovingly at Michelle’s I.D. photo in the files.

Lee was annoyed, he wanted him to leave but he simply answered on an slightly annoyed tone so that Ganryu realized how busy he was:

"A participant in the Tournament."

"Really? But she’s so beautiful... I wouldn’t want anyone to hit her pretty face..."

"Yes she is beautiful but she can participate anyway."

"I didn’t say the contrary but she is still so beautiful..."

Ganryu kept looking at the files and sighed on a dreamy tone while reading her name:

"Michelle Chang..."

He then quickly addressed Lee:

"Can I get a photo of her? The printing machine is opened..."

Ganryu quickly ran to the small printing room just beside Lee’s desk and pushed on the button to open the printer that started making some horrible loud sounds as it started. Lee was now really annoyed, someone else may come... They knew he was working late but Lee still didn’t want to be too noticed... and mostly Michelle who was now noticed personally by that guy... He wanted to face palm but he remained calm and composed as he simply answered:

"No."

Lee didn’t want to leave traces that he went into those files. It was already annoying that Ganryu already saw him and now seemed enamoured with Michelle... What if he talked about his crush to Kazuya? Yet he wasn’t a close friend like Bruce Irvin, so he probably wouldn’t... Even Bruce Irvin wouldn’t, since he was a so manly man... Lee didn’t think Kazuya and Bruce talked very much about their feelings together... But... who knows? Yet Ganryu insisted:

"Please, just one photo! I need to see her!"

"No. You don’t even know her and I do not give a lady’s personal info or picture like this without her consent."

"Oh, I’m sorry..."

Now blushing, Ganryu felt embarrassed by his lack of gallantry before he added:

"So, she is a contestant?"

"Yes. But she’s not here already, she’ll arrive in Japan some other day. Wait until the Tournament to speak to her."

Lee wondered if he made a mistake to lie but that guy would now go after Michelle... She didn’t need that. At least, he hoped he delayed the moment that annoying guy will go after her... Maybe she will have been able to get back to the United States by then... If Ganryu believed him...

"Well, if she’s not here already, I’ll have to wait..."

"Please, leave now. I have a ton of work."

Ganryu gazed lovingly at Michelle’s picture for a while, then told Lee:

"Fine, I’ll leave you to work now. Oh! You don’t know what she likes? What she would like as a gift?"

"I don’t know her. It’s only her files for the Tournament, not her personal diary."

"Fine. I’ll get her flowers. You think it’s good?"

"Probably."

And Ganryu left while Lee sighed in annoyance.

* * *

Wednesday, Kazuya asked Ganryu to come to his office. Once Ganryu arrived, Kazuya told his Sumo wrestler bodyguard:

"I have a special mission for you. I need to retrieve a special objet, an amulet. A woman named Michelle Chang has it. You need to go after that woman. Your pay will be doubled if you succeed."

Michelle Chang... The lovely girl from yesterday... thought Ganryu as he still had her dreamy image in his mind.

"Go after her?" asked a blushing Ganryu, thinking of another way to go after her than what Kazuya intended. His boss didn’t notice the apparent sentimental feelings Ganryu seemed to have for her since he was mostly looking at the cityscape from his 54th floor office, enjoying his power over the city and turning his back at Ganryu.

"Yes. Take her amulet. Bring it back to me. We captured her mother and forced her to come here in the Tournament but you will take that treasure by force. She resides in one of our hotels so you take the keys and take the amulet. And take care of her as well."

Take care of her... Ganryu knew what kind of care Kazuya meant... yet he still thought another way...

"But, huh... why ask her to participate if I am to ‘take care’ of her outside? And why not just ask the amulet in exchange for the mother?"

"In case you failed. She had to come in Japan, so we took the mother."

Kazuya then turned toward Ganryu with an evil expression and continued speaking:

"Don’t try to think too hard, just do as you are told. Take it and bring it back to me. And kill her."

Trying to not show his concern for his future ‘victim’, Ganryu took a tough air and bowed to his boss.

"Hai! Wakarimashita! (Yes, got it)"

Ganryu then left the office. Noticing Lee typing, he thought: That monster... He took all the files on sweet Michelle yesterday to give to his brother... And Kazuya Mishima wants to kill her... It’s up to me to save her... and her mother...

Ganryu became very distrustful of Lee toward whom he had nothing before yet now he was determined to help his sweet Michelle. Kazuya and his constant dirty schemes began to disgust him... There were limits... Kazuya had been kind enough to hire him after he got all his (not to honestly earned) money stolen by those dirty Manji Clan ninjas during the last Tournament and gave him quite a good pay but somehow, Kazuya was going too far, money wasn’t worth what he was asking of him now... Ganryu still couldn’t understand why Kazuya didn’t just exchange the mother for the amulet... He probably wanted to make them suffer for some vengeful reasons maybe... But Ganryu had never killed someone before... Beaten someone, of course, beaten quite roughly, yes, even beaten some with pleasure, but he mostly would not kill a lovely girl like Michelle! No, that Kazuya Mishima was evil... Far too evil...

Ganryu thought that he would have to help Michelle and then flee Japan to escape Kazuya’s retaliation... Ganryu knew some nice place in Hawaii where he and Michelle could go to hide from the Mishima Zaibatsu. They could be happy together, happily married... Once he rescues her mother, she will give them her blessing... and maybe live beside them... Hawaii was such a nice place, they will all be happy... He will open a successful restaurant and he will protect them all from any dangers...

Meanwhile noticing Ganryu getting out of his brother’s office, despite trying to hide it, Lee was slightly nervous: What has that annoying guy just told Kazuya? Did he spoke about last night and Michelle? Lee had not found anything useful yesterday but he didn’t want to be punished by his brother who seemed even more ruthless than their father... If attacked by Kazuya, Lee knew that he could fight him with his fists even if Kazuya may have become slightly better than him as he experienced in the last Tournament but if it was to fight for his life, Lee knew Kazuya would certainly not get away in one piece either, maybe he would even lose since Lee was now also training with Wang, so he was better than last time... He should stop underestimating himself, he probably could beat his older brother in a brawl...

But Lee also knew that Kazuya now permanently wore a gun on him like his good friend Bruce, who was a gun fanatic... and Lee wasn’t too fanatic about owning a gun himself... It wasn’t as elegant as using martial arts even if it could have its uses... Beside with the tight security around now, even if he wanted a gun, he would get it confiscated and Kazuya would find him suspicious...


	23. Training

Later that day, after his dinner at the cafeteria, Lee went back in the elevator to go back to his reception desk. But as the door was about to close and Lee was about to push on his floor button, Bruce quickly entered the elevator and pushed on the underground parking button.

"We’re going down", said the Muai Thai kickboxer.

"Fine", said Lee who didn’t mind since the parking was far quicker to reach than the 54th floor where he worked. Bruce would have to wait much longer if Lee went up first.

But once on the parking floor, Bruce told Lee:

"Now, get out."

"What? But I don’t..."

"I said get out", interrupted Kazuya’s bodyguard on a imperative tone.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" asked Lee as he put his hands on his hips, outraged by the rude way Bruce was addressing him.

Bruce then added on a more normal tone:

"I have to talk to you. Kazuya asked me to do so."

"About what? But fine. Yet I must tell you I have a lot of work, I don’t have much time", said Lee as he got out of the elevator.

What did Bruce want? What does Kazuya wanted to tell him by asking Bruce to do it? Lee was slightly worried about this... Bruce was Kazuya’s enforcer... Will Bruce shoot him in the underground parking or something? Yet he wouldn’t back away... Kazuya and Bruce won’t scare him... Well, he won’t look scared at least in front of any of them...

"So, what is it?" asked Lee as he crossed his arms, staying near the elevator and waiting for Bruce to explain.

"Go to the limousine. Kazuya asked me to take you to the Mishima dojo to train. We’ll spar there."

"What? But... I’m not dressed for this..."

"Whatever. That’s not important. It’s not a real competition."

"Maybe not but I will still perspire in my clothes. Can I go home to take my training clothes, at least?"

"No. We don’t have time."

"Fine, but if my suit gets stained or stink after that, I’m not coming back to work today. And all this counts as work hours, so I’d better be paid. And why does Kazuya wants me to train during work hours? It doesn’t make sense..." said Lee as Bruce went toward the limousine.

And by stain, Lee hoped it would at least be only some blood drops coming from his nose or something, not like when the ninja stabbed him last time at the Mishima Heavy Industries, he didn’t want to receive a bullet through his body as well now... with that gun-loving Bruce Irvin... Bruce still had a gun on him... Though if to spar was really only the intention, Lee thought that maybe he shouldn’t complain. He always complained he didn’t have enough time to train before... But there was something troubling about that forced invitation... Kazuya certainly didn’t want him to train only... Yet they were nearing the Tournament, maybe Kazuya knew about him participating even if he didn’t register already and wanted to somehow test him... He might as well take the invitation... Beside, he didn’t have much choice... Not like he could get back in the elevator and go away like if nothing was going on... So Lee followed Bruce to the limousine as well.

"Where is Kazuya? Will he come to spar later?" said Lee as the door was closed by the chauffeur.

"No. He’s busy. We get the dojo to ourselves. And yeah, you’ll still be paid."

Lee still wondered about all this... He should try to somehow ask Bruce and maybe start a conversation with him to know more... He still didn’t know Bruce very much and didn’t really know how to approach him. So as the limousine was leaving the underground parking, he asked:

"Do you have news of Anna?"

"Nope."

"Okay... And... how are you doing? We never spoke very much."

"Indeed", answered the Muai Thai fighter without adding anything more as he gazed outside of the window.

Okay, we still don’t, it seems... thought Lee who still wondered how to speak to Bruce while the limousine was rolling in the city.

"So, you think you’ll be able to beat me? You’re pretty confident..." suddenly said Lee trying to look carefree while worrying a bit about what would really happen. It probably was only training, not something more deadly but still...

Bruce turned his head toward Lee, smiled and said:

"We’ll see."

While saying that, Bruce seemed almost friendly... So Lee thought that it probably had to do with the Tournament and not with some murder attempt or something... It didn’t seem too serious... Lee even thought maybe it somehow was some kind of reconciliation attempt from Kazuya? Was Kazuya trying to keep his loyalty and train him since he would fear Heihachi or something, so he needed his brother’s help? Yet Kazuya would have asked that before... and in person, if he wanted closer family ties... It probably wasn’t that... Maybe he instead wanted to scare him out of the competition... That question really bothered Lee: Why were they going to train? What does Bruce really wanted? He then asked Bruce:

"Why do we train at the Mishima dojo? We could train somewhere else. Closer to the office."

"You know it’s one of the best places to train. Besides Kazuya said we could order some snack after as well. His cooks are great."

After a while of rolling, the limousine entered the Mishima’s huge domain. Like when he came to the mansion the fist time when he was a child and thought it took an eternity to reach the mansion, eager and nervous to see his new home and brother, Lee was once more impatient to finally know what was that all about. In the worst case, if Bruce was trying to kill him, Lee thought he could flee in the garden and hide at Wang Jinrei’s house... Maybe. He didn’t really want to put the old man into trouble but knowing that his teacher was near somehow reassured him and took some worries away from him. If, Wang was there since he often left during the day, so he probably wasn’t there... But still, Lee wanted to believe he was and that someone friendly was around.

Then the limousine stopped and both got out of the car to enter the mansion.

Once inside, Lee recognized the house he left some months ago. He didn’t quite miss the place... That bad ambiance was still there... Those bad memories... Despite living richly here, despite never lacking anything like food or clothes, Lee remembered all the bad things he lived there. The fear, the sadness, loneliness, anger... He hated being thrown out but in fact, he was far happier in his new apartment. And the dojo was probably the worst place of the house... with all those fights he had to do against Kazuya, all those scolding from his father when he didn’t perform well enough... Those humiliating spankings and noogies... Those times he witnessed Kazuya being beaten by their father... All those times he wished he wasn’t there... Most of those happened there... in that room...

"So, you ready to fight?" asked Bruce as he went on the mat, jumping in anticipation.

"Huh, yes."

Lee took off his elegant vest, untied his bow tie before he put it with his neatly folded vest in the corner of the dojo and then went to fight.

But while fighting, Lee still thought that this sparring session was strange. Why would Kazuya send Bruce to fight against him? Even somehow force him to do so? Probably to test his strength and judge his fighting abilities before the Tournament... Kazuya probably knew about him participating... He was no idiot...

Yet Lee thought that maybe if Kazuya thought that he had improved, maybe he could be subjected to the same treatment as their father... Assassination attempt. Wang told him he was the second most dangerous adversary in the Tournament for Kazuya... And unlike before, when Kazuya wanted to beat his father with his own hands, Kazuya now had no honour, Lee knew that his brother was trying to kill Heihachi by any means possible... He never said it, but Lee knew that Kazuya feared his father... So Lee wondered: If he looked dangerous against Bruce, Kazuya may be pleased and see him as a challenge but also see him as a threat as well while if he looked weak, well not too weak but still, Kazuya would be disappointed and may scorn him but would probably not try to kill him... They didn’t have the same hate toward each other as Kazuya had for Heihachi and vice versa but still, why that sparring session if it was not to test him? Lee somehow thought that this hypothesis must be the right one and decided to not show his full capacities to Bruce to not look too threatening to Kazuya. Unless Bruce was somehow trying to kill him for some reason, then he would fully defend himself of course.

So the fight went along quite normally and Lee didn’t give his all to not look too dangerous. Bruce then told him:

"I’m disappointed... I thought you were better..."

"I’m sorry but I probably lost some shape with all those hours I spend typing at my desk..."

"But you do train almost each day to that new dojo that opened some months ago..."

Lee was slightly surprised that Bruce knew about it. He was now always meeting with Wang there to train when he could but he never thought anyone knew about it. He never really kept it secret either since he could want to keep in shape without participating in the Tournament but just didn’t mention it. Yet he answered:

"Not really each days. I’m often still working very late at the office..."

Bruce replied nothing before he said:

"Now let’s go eat. It’s suppertime. We trained for a while..."

As the meal was served, Lee said:

"I still don’t understand why Kazuya insisted to make us fight during work hours..."

"Kazuya likes to give breaks to his employees when they perform well..."

Lee didn’t believe that answer and kept eating his meal. At least, it didn’t seem to be an assassination attempt... Unless the food was poisoned but they were eating nabemono, from the same dish, so if it was poisoned, Bruce would poison himself as well... Lee thought he probably was turning slightly paranoid and there was no poison at all... or Bruce had taken some antipoison or something... But in fact the real reason for all this probably was that skill testing for the Tournament like he thought...

The limousine then went back to the Mishima building. As Lee and Bruce got out of it in front of the building, Bruce said:

"Since we finished past your normal working hours, I’ll go see Kazuya to tell him. He’ll pay you for the overtime, don’t worry. You can now go back home."

Lee then told him goodbye and turned his back to go to the outside parking lot where his car was as Bruce began climbing the stairs to the building’s main entrance doors.

"Oh, by the way, I hope you had fun Monday at the cinema", suddenly said Bruce as Lee also heard some pistol being reloaded. The Chinese man quickly turned back toward Bruce who was casually holding a gun, not aiming at him as Lee initially feared but who was now starting to turn it around his finger like in some western movie.

At the cinema? So Bruce knew he met Michelle there? Someone followed him or Michelle? Michelle told him she was careful and trying to not being followed... But that note... Maybe he was watched since of course Kazuya knew where he lived and despite any precautions Michelle could have done to lose them, she somehow gave them precisely the place where they had met... Bruce, who always had a serious face normally, was now smiling.

"An horror movie? You seem scared..." said Bruce, who had stopped spinning his gun and was now carelessly pointing it at Lee like if he would point his finger.

Why was Bruce telling him this, now? He could have spoke about it in the mansion... Yet even here, if he wanted to shot him, they were on the almighty Mishima Zaibatsu’s grounds, no one would do anything... But Lee knew Bruce was now trying to intimidate him, probably not kill him or he would have done it already. Bruce was only here to warn him. But Lee wouldn’t let Kazuya or Bruce scare him. Yet he was scared anyway. For himself and now for Michelle and her mother. How were they? But still, he wouldn’t look like a coward... He sighed and replied:

"No. A suspense movie."

"Well, they kill the traitor in the end. Unless it’s that movie where the traitor understood and stopped... The commander could forgive then... Well, gotta go now. Bye! It’s been fun fightin’ with ya!"

Since Kazuya already knew Lee had helped Michelle in the past, he was particularly watching him. And Bruce had been asked by Kazuya to ‘warn’ Lee of not making any troubles this time... Bruce went inside to see Kazuya while Lee stood there. Stunned.

"He threatened me... He just threatened me... What am I supposed to do now?"

Completely troubled and angered by what just happened, Lee quickly took a cigarette to try to calm down.

Maybe I should go confront Kazuya already... Yet he somehow gave me a warning... If I don’t do anything else, he will leave me alone... And I’ll be able to beat him at the Tournament... If I act already, he’ll send his goons to kill me or something... But maybe he already wants to kill me but then why warn me like Bruce did? I think they want to scare me to not continue to help Michelle anymore and don’t really want to kill me... But I have to help Michelle... But if they saw me, they must have seen Michelle as well and will hurt her... Yet she was disguised... But they wouldn’t have warned me if I had only met some ordinary woman... They really know... I hope she is fine... And her mother...

Despite being really angry right now, Lee thought that confronting Kazuya already wouldn’t give him control of the Mishima Zaibatsu like if he won during the Tournament. Even if he killed Kazuya, he wouldn’t inherit if he was caught and arrested... There probably was a better way to deal with this...

While he was thinking about this, Ganryu got out of the building. The sumo fighter slightly looked elsewhere as if wanting to avert his gaze since he knew he wasn’t able to hide his feelings very well and was resentful toward Lee for putting Michelle in trouble. Beside Ganryu was also quite nervous, he had tried to find some reasons to not have to steal the amulet from Michelle too soon since he wanted to have time to free her mother and to know where she was kept. So after his lunch, Ganryu came back to see Kazuya to convince him that he would follow Michelle everywhere now but kill her to take the amulet only once the Tournament would begin because he had a very logical reason for that and a great plan to do so as he told Kazuya, who didn’t care and barely listened since he was busy with other things and wanted Ganryu to get out of his office because he was waiting for someone. Luckily, because Ganryu had in fact, no logical reason and no plan at all. For anything. At least Kazuya somehow left him some more time...

Seeing the sumo wrestler, Lee couldn’t help but feel distrustful while Ganryu was passing beside him but he acted as if nothing was happening, casually blowing smoke from his cigarette. Probably that guy talked as well about the other night, thought Lee who looked in a resentful way toward Ganryu as the Japanese man was going away. Lee was really angry and wanted to take it out on the one who denounced him but he thought: Was it really necessary to pick a fight with that underling? He would only get in trouble if he picked a fight with Ganryu... Anyway, he had to pick that fight with Kazuya, not underlings... and he would do that in the Tournament...

Some moments later, still staying near the entrance doors, nervously smoking, Lee noticed someone else getting out of the building: Jun Kazama. He remembered her since she had somehow brightened his day with her compliment when he was in a deep depression and it somehow really helped him go through that day. What was she doing here? He quickly put out his cigarette before he walked over to her.


	24. Confidences

Reaching Jun as the sun was now beginning to fade and the parking lot was almost empty, Lee told her:

"Miss Kazama, I am surprised to see you here again. You went to see Kazuya personally?"

"Indeed."

"What did he do? ... But I’m surprised he received you again. Normally Kazuya never gives second appointments to... hum... Well... Most."

"It’s not my second but my fourth", said Jun who recognized the secretary from when she came the first time. The one with the unicorn...

Lee was surprised, he did not know about the other appointments since he was working at the Mishima Heavy Industries at the time.

"Fourth? With him? Personally? Ooohh... If he received you personally all those times, either you’re really good to convince him for your appointments or I mostly think he took a liking in you", said Lee jokingly while Jun blushed, wondering why was that secretary so familiar with her. She would certainly not talk to him about her personal date with Kazuya... He seemed quite indiscrete...

"Hum. Yes. Maybe."

Realizing he looked like a fool since she didn’t seem to know him much, Lee quickly explained as he continued walking beside her toward the parking:

"Oh, I’m sorry, I guess you don’t remember me but I am Kazuya’s secretary, we met the first time. You complimented my unicorn. And I’m also his brother."

"Oh? You’re his brother?"

Jun was surprised: She knew Kazuya had a brother but somehow didn’t expect that secretary to be that brother... Kazuya didn’t seem too close with his brother... Last time on their real date, Kazuya sometimes fondly mentioned his beloved mother and didn’t talk about his father very much since with Jun, he felt like another man so he mostly tried to show his good sides. When she came to his mansion and asked him about the portraits on the wall and about his childhood, wanting to know more about him, he told her on a soft tone: _“Jun... I don’t want to talk about it... I don’t want to talk about my father and I don’t even want to bitch him right now... I don’t want to feel angry or hateful... I just want to be with you”._ Jun remembered having seen portraits of Heihachi, Kazumi, Kazuya, even one of a five years old Kazuya and his parents, where they seemed all happy, his father holding him over his shoulder while they were all smiling even if Kazuya was somehow shyly smiling to the camera but he really seemed happy and even comfortable with Heihachi, holding his father’s head (or mostly hair), a scene which had really struck Jun who wondered what could have caused that hate Kazuya now seemed to have toward his father, what could have caused his father to start beating him, but there were no portraits on the walls of the brother Kazuya barely mentioned. He only was a small detail that Kazuya quickly mentioned about some rivalry...

"Yes. Well, adoptive brother. My name is Lee Chaolan, I don’t have the Mishima name. But we grew up together. For some years."

Then, trying to explain his probably too familiar reaction, he said:

"I know Kazuya, he is kind of a loner. Knowing him, it’s somehow surprising that he accepted to see you more than once if he wasn’t... Hum... Well... I think he seems to like you. He must find something in you very appealing..."

Lee knew that even if she came because Kazuya was probably still mistreating animals, Kazuya would have just sent her to his lawyers if he didn’t want to see her anymore. And Lee didn’t think it was to argue with her or to torment her that he accepted to see her in person. The first time Jun left the office, she was happily smiling and Kazuya was completely strange, but in a happy way. So there was something between them... Jun seemed to have that special something... Lee wanted to thank her for last time, where she had been kind to him and somehow lifted his and Kazuya’s mood, but before he could, Jun answered on a sad tone:

"More or less... Technically this appointment wasn’t really one... He called me to tell me he didn’t want to see me again... He broke up with me..."

Knowing now that this man was Kazuya’s brother, Jun then felt somehow more permitted to speak about her relation with Kazuya. But about a relation that seemed to already be over... Jun thought she should never have accepted that job that took her away from Kazuya for two months, the job called her away for too long, Kazuya had time to lose the progress he made, all his resentment and hate appeared again and he now refused to see her. He even never answered the phone when she called from her job some days later after she left... and all the other times... In fact, he did answer only some days ago and accepted to see her today but just to tell her face to face that it was over between them. It seemed that the evil entity had time to crawl back into his soul and it became even stronger... Jun was quite disheartened by this...

And she had just learned yesterday that she was pregnant... She didn’t tell Kazuya about the baby she was now expecting from their lover evening at his mansion since he was already sending her away as soon as she entered the office... Beside, noticing his cold and distant attitude, she didn’t think she should talk about it... She knew it wasn’t really Kazuya sending her away, but that evil entity who felt threatened by her... She was telling herself that Kazuya still loved her and still had good in him... Last time, he had pushed away by himself the evil inside of him, she had felt the fight going on in his soul and she had hoped he would win without her help... But that evil came back... and this time, she didn’t feel any fight...

Noticing the restrained sadness Jun seemed to be holding inside, Lee asked on a slightly surprised tone:

"So you and Kazuya really were together? I knew you liked each other but as to be together... I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked such personal questions... It’s not very gentlemanly of me to ask anything about your relation... I did act a little rudely... I’m sorry..."

"Yes, we were, but it’s okay... You didn’t know..." answered Jun on a slightly resigned tone.

She wanted to cry but not in front of that man. Beside she had to pull herself together, not wallow in self-pity... She was just still under the shock of the news... She had to understand why Kazuya turned back evil so fast...

Meanwhile, Lee was still stunned: Kazuya and Jun may have broken up but still Lee was surprised that Kazuya had romantic feelings for anyone... even if for a brief time. Affection he could say, but Kazuya never seemed interested by anyone in the romantic sense... Even less to act on it and not just blush like a school kid like Lee thought Kazuya would have probably done... Somehow both Kazuya’s demonic possession and romantic feelings were equally as hard to believe even if he believed them both. Lee was surprised that Kazuya was interested in Jun but he remembered how his adoptive brother somehow changed over those two years: He was a complete loner when he took the reins of the Mishima Zaibatsu, even when he was younger, at school, he never approached anyone, despite having his followers, they all flocked to him because he was the founder’s son but he never asked them to come, Lee even thought Kazuya would probably have been too shy to go and make friends by himself if no one had come. Once at the head of the Zaibatsu, after Lee had almost forced him to meet the bowling team, Kazuya then started to make friends or acquaintances and talk to even more people but sadly most of those people were criminals and bad influences, Mafia, Yakuzas, Triads, and other criminal organizations... Even Anna, that Lee liked a lot and actually missed a lot, wondering when she would be back, had her share of dark sides... Jun just didn’t fit in all those people around Kazuya.

"... You’re probably better off without him. I don’t want to pain you more but Kazuya has always been inconsiderate toward anyone... He probably wasn’t trying to especially pain you... It’s his nature... He hurts people and doesn’t realize it..."

Lee thought he was being very kind with Kazuya by saying this like this because he knew Kazuya realized he was hurting people, yet it was that curse so in some way, not totally his fault... But he continued to try to both console and convince Jun of the good sides of their break up.

"You’re not like those people Kazuya normally hangs out with... You seem like a good person, I think its best for you to not be with him anyway. It probably would have hurt you more if you had stayed. Kazuya can be really mean sometimes... and even dangerous."

"Kazuya is not as evil as everyone seems to think. It’s not his fault... I came to try to help him..."

Jun didn’t seem to know how to formulate what she wanted to say. She didn’t want to say Kazuya had a Devil possessing him, she would be taken for a crazy woman and she didn’t want Kazuya to have problems but she also wanted to explain his case, mostly to his brother who somehow may understand or know about the problem...

"...Huh... fight his inner demons. It just takes time to reach him... He’s surrounded by so much negative energy... Keeping him from the good one... But he is still a wounded boy inside... He thinks... He thinks that this negative energy will protect him..."

Jun seemed very sad as she spoke, even slightly having teary eyes, making Lee realize that she really cared about Kazuya... He told her:

"Fighting his inner demons, negative energy... You seem to speak in a slightly mystical way..."

Jun had tried to use some terms that could be used in a general way but since Lee seemed to catch more the mystical sense, she looked at him in the eyes and said:

"You’ll think I’m strange but in my family, we were able to feel negative energy since generations... Many Kazamas became powerful exorcists..."

"So you’re an exorcist?"

"More or less, yes."

Lee gazed at Jun with a surprised expression as he almost whispered:

"And you feel the demon in Kazuya..."

Jun looked at Lee. He seemed to take her seriously, he seemed to know about that demon, she wondered if she could learn more, so she asked him:

"... You’re talking like if you knew about that demon... What do you know about it? Since when is Kazuya possessed?"

Lee looked around so that no one understood what he would say, mostly now that he knew Kazuya was spying on him, so noticing that the parking seemed quite empty, and telling himself that Kazuya wouldn’t stop him from talking to anyone and that it probably wouldn’t hurt Michelle’s case more that he talked to someone who had nothing to do in this, he told her:

"You’re asking me a quite difficult question... I’m sorry but I do not know... Since Kazuya was twelve and I arrived at the mansion, I have felt that evil presence. Not always but often. Throughout all my childhood with him, I noticed that Kazuya was a very disturbed child and many strange things happened when he was angry or sad... Lights flickering, things falling down abruptly... But it’s only since some months that I fully realized what I felt and even then, I still wasn’t certain. You know, it’s still hard to believe, it sounds too strange and I’m no exorcist or paranormal investigator. I always tried to find a rational explanation for everything but sometimes, I just couldn’t. Lately, I learned that there was a curse upon the Mishima family, making them act in quite horrible ways sometimes. The curse would exist since generations."

Lee wondered if he should talk about Kazumi maybe being killed by Heihachi but it then would go into the criminal domain, making accusations and he wasn’t even certain of it... Beside he didn’t know Jun that much, so he was already telling her much already... Jun seemed impressed and asked:

"A curse? It’s not the same as a possession... Are you sure of what you are saying?"

"Well, someone told me it was a curse. I do not know much. I think it’s an evil spirit taking control of family members but... I don’t really know. As I told you, I’m no expert, I’m just a side witness... I sometimes also wondered if the house would be haunted..."

"But a curse upon the family? Do you believe in that curse? Every members are affected?" asked Jun who was now worried for her unborn baby.

She already knew about Kazuya’s possession but told herself that when he would be exorcised, there would be no problems... But if the whole family was cursed, then her child may suffer from it as well... About the house, she couldn’t really tell if Lee was right to say it was haunted, she had mostly concentrated on Kazuya when she was there... If there were some ghosts, they didn’t seem malevolent toward her... But the house did seem to have lived much... But again, she was distracted by Kazuya... She would have to go back in the mansion to really know about it...

Somehow Lee was glad to be able to speak about this to someone who seemed more knowledgeable than him. He had wondered about all this since so long without having any real answers or solutions or even without being sure of it. Even Wang who warned him about the curse didn’t know much about it, he was as clueless as Lee as to what to do... Lee answered Jun:

"Yes, I believe in it. If you knew all that happened in the family... I think many must have been affected. Kazuya, his father..."

Jun had met Heihachi sometimes, he never seemed possessed and she never felt anything strange about him... His soul seemed strong but she didn’t feel the evil she was feeling in Kazuya... Yet a curse wasn’t as noticeable as a possession... Could Kazuya be possessed and that a curse upon the family also existed? If she met with Heihachi again, she would have some questions to ask him... But now, knowing that her ‘brother-in-law’ was taking her seriously, Jun decided to ask for his help.

"Kazuya needs to be saved from that horrible possession... I have to save him... but I cannot reach him anymore... He forbid me to come here or to his mansion... Guards will stop me since I’m not allowed anymore... I cannot meet him anywhere... I know he sent me away because the entity feared me... Can you help me see him again, one on one? Or at least, convince him to call me again?"

Lee knew he couldn’t do much on this. He didn’t have much power over Kazuya... He, himself, wasn’t even allowed to come at the mansion anymore without permission... Wang did go in and out of the property but it was because, despite Kazuya not knowing about him, security did. The guards were not all changed when Kazuya came in power, they knew the old man had permission to live there since Jinpachi Mishima, so that had to be respected... and they didn’t notify Kazuya of the old man living in the garden or despite Wang fearing about it, maybe they did and Kazuya just didn’t care. Whatever it was, anyone else could not enter as they wished... And the Mishima building was even more heavily guarded. Mostly since that last attempt on his life... Kazuya would indeed be very hard to reach if he didn’t want to...

"Hum. I’ll try to convince him. But somehow he never listens to me... but I will try. ...Maybe I could somehow try to put some appointment for you without his agreement... He’ll be angry but..."

Suddenly, they heard some growling. Turning their head, they noticed a stray dog in some bush beside the parking lot. The dog seemed threatened by their proximity and began to growl to keep them away. The animal seemed very ferocious and almost about to attack. The canine was quite big. Yet as Lee took his protective stance, ready to fight off the dog if it attacked them while also beginning to back away, trying to push Jun safely away, the young woman noticed something:

"He is wounded... He’s scared..."

And she began to move toward the dog very calmly, showing her hand to the wounded animal who slowly stopped growling. Jun reached the dog and began to gently pet its head after she let the dog smell her hand. Talking softly to the dog, Jun examined its wounded paw and then took her scarf to wrap around his or her bleeding paw. Lee was quite amazed at how she could calm the dog so quickly yet he told himself that she was working with animals, so it was normal for her. Yet the dog did calm down quite fast... She really seemed to have that calming aura he, himself, felt around her... After she took care of the dog’s wound, now taking the big canine in her arms, she asked Lee:

"I’m sorry to bother you but could you accompany me to my car to open my door? The keys are in my purse."

"No problem."

Lee didn’t offer to carry the dog since he doubted very much the wounded animal would behave that calmly in his arms. It was almost magical how Jun had calmed the beast so quickly... Was it her exorcist aura? They then reached Jun’s WWWC truck and Lee opened the doors for Jun. There was a cage inside the vehicle and Jun put the dog in it while still saying soothing words to the wounded animal. The dog remained calm all along and Jun told Lee:

"I’ll take him to the organization. They’ll take good care of him. It has been a pleasure meeting you, Lee-San. Arigato. And I’m really grateful if you can help me meet with Kazuya again."

And Jun left with the dog. Lee thought that Kazuya looked a lot like that dog... He remembered when Jun came the first time... Kazuya was in such a good mood after her visit... She knew how to calm dogs and Kazuya... They were the same... Lee then remembered how all his life, Kazuya compared him to a dog, and now it was him comparing his older brother to a dog...

But Lee was slightly annoyed at what he told Jun... Maybe he shouldn’t have given her such hopes... With what Bruce just told him, Lee didn’t really want to stay for the two days that remained before the Tournament... Yet he should or he would look like a coward... and maybe he should use it to help Jun meet Kazuya... But with only two days left to give Jun an appointment as he said, it would be quite difficult... He would really have to leave once the Tournament began... Yet he wasn’t forced to leave that soon, it was a personal decision, Kazuya only told him he would lose his job if he lost the Tournament but he also told him he would kill traitors... Lee didn’t feel very safe now. He also intended to be freed from all the work Kazuya gave him and to have more time to train all throughout the month since the Tournament lasted a whole month long. Now that he had enough money put aside to pay his rent and everything, he promised Wang he would leave... He already lost too much training time already...

Beside even if he wanted to stay, maybe Kazuya would also fire him as soon as he would see his name on the contestant sheet... He also feared some attack from Kazuya and didn’t trust to be safe inside the Mishima building, Kazuya’s fortress. Jun would probably not be safe either if he introduced her to Kazuya... If Kazuya really didn’t want to see her anymore, he could easily kill her in his office and hide her body from anyone... The Mishima Zaibatsu was free to do as they wished... Kazuya could get away with anything... Maybe she shouldn’t come back... Some exorcism probably won’t even work... Kazuya already sent her away... No, it was better if she never came back...


	25. Choices

But as Lee was thinking about what he should do, he suddenly remembered that he forgot his keys at the office since he had left so fast with Bruce. He needed them for both his car and his apartment... His keys were in his desk’s drawer, so he quickly went back inside the building. As he reached the 54th floor, he noticed that Kazuya’s door was half opened and people were talking inside. Apparently Kazuya and Bruce were speaking together...

"So you’re taking him out yourself?" asked Bruce to his friend.

Taking him out? So they want to kill me? That’s what came from Bruce’s report? thought Lee who froze for a second before Kazuya answered:

"Oyaji has been too much of a danger last Tournament to not take seriously and try every ways to eliminate him... He’s going to Todoroki Fudo Temple tonight and he’ll probably go by the park... There’s lots of trees, it’s dark, big, no one will see... We’ll ambush him there."

Oh, Just usual routine... thought Lee, relieved of his previous fear. Yet he kept listening to what Kazuya was saying.

"Even if not in loyal combat, I want the pleasure of seeing his dying face... It’s near, I have time tonight, so I will shot the deadly bullet in his face myself... So just you and me, we do this discreetly... I don’t trust anyone else for such a job. And most assassins are not even to his level anyway. How many did he kill already? I don’t pay them in advance anymore... I lost too much... You’re the only one I can trust to have my back. Take care of the bear while I kill Oyaji. Then, after he’s dead, we organize your thing."

Thing? What thing? thought Lee who silently came closer, trying to listen as Kazuya continued speaking:

"That annoying cop will probably be on Oyaji’s case and it will somehow be easier for you to fade away since he’ll be busy with another crime."

"So we don’t kill the cop?" asked Bruce.

What cop now? How many people Kazuya has on his daily murder list? thought Lee, who was slightly lost and even somehow exasperated now.

"No need to kill him now, they’ll send another to investigate anyway. We have to close your file, you have to disappear. Then if they think you are dead, they’ll drop the investigation... And you’ll be left alone. We’ll probably take care of him during the Tournament but you have to disappear now and he’ll probably drop his guard. So you’ll be left alone and he’ll be easier to kill."

"But you’ll also easily get the blame on. For your old man and for the cop. Maybe even for my disappearance..."

Kazuya laughed.

"Humpf! Like I care. Cops can’t do a thing against me. They’re weak, they’re corrupt or they’re stupid. They’re useless. I’m the real justice here, cops and criminals both fear me, I can kill whoever I want, whenever I want. ...Except him. But tonight I will..."

Lee then heard the sound of some gun reloading, probably Kazuya’s gun this time... The silver-haired demon knew he had fallen on something he shouldn’t have heard and he knew they wouldn’t hesitate to use their guns on him, so knowing they would soon get out and trying not to be discovered by them, he quickly hid in the nearby small printing room, behind the half closed door, hoping they didn’t hear him or wouldn’t see him. And indeed, they didn’t notice him, since both Kazuya and Bruce walked in front of his desk to get to the elevator and left, both having their guns with them. After a while, making sure they were gone, Lee got out of the small room.

But as he was hiding, Lee noticed that Kazuya had not locked his office, not hearing any locking sound... He probably was too eager to go kill his father... and didn’t think anyone was hiding here... Not having succeeded in finding anything about Michelle’s mother in the computer last time and despite the threats he just received, Lee decided to go inspect Kazuya’s office. If they did not kill the mother already, it only meant he had to act fast before they did so. Kazuya couldn’t be trusted. He knew there were no cameras in there as there was not either in Lee’s reception office since Kazuya was doing things and receiving people he may not want any security guards to see and report.

Once in his brother’s office, Lee turned on Kazuya’s private computer to look in it and while it was still opening, he decided to search in the drawers for some clues or whatever. But before he opened the drawer, Lee first noticed the picture of a beautiful Japanese woman on the desk. It was Kazuya’s mother; Kazumi. It seemed Kazuya still loved his mother... He was turning even more into a monster each day but still kept that photo of his beloved mother near him... On a most privileged place on the desk... Lee never knew that mother but by how both Kazuya and Heihachi seemed to love her (even if Heihachi maybe killed her...), she must have been kind...

But Lee also noticed something else beside the portrait, there was a diary... Lee quickly read it to see if he could find any clues about Michelle’s mother. Something caught his attention once more. It wasn’t about Michelle’s mother but about Jun Kazama... Her name was written with her phone number and beside it, the name of a restaurant, the most expensive in Tokyo... Why? Did Kazuya invite her there? There was also another phone number, a florist... Despite not being written who’s number it was, Lee knew that number since he often went to buy flowers there... But Kazuya buying flowers was kind of strange... But it did show that they really had a date... Yet it’s been a while... Two months ago... No mention of Jun after... It didn’t mean they didn’t date anymore though but whatever. Kazuya’s love life was not important. Lee thought that he didn’t have to intrude on this. Yet Kazuya really seemed to have loved her, at least a bit... Jun Kazama was not lying on this even if Lee already didn’t really doubt her...

Maybe Kazuya was not that bad, like Jun said... He loved his mother, he gave flowers to his girlfriend... Despite what he just heard from Kazuya’s mouth moments ago, Lee couldn’t stop thinking about what Jun told him: _Kazuya is not as evil as everyone seems to think. ...He is still a wounded boy inside..._ Looking at Kazumi’s photo, Lee thought about when Wang told him how Kazuya was sad when she passed, how he choked in grief over her and how he still seemed to love her...

Kazuya could be kind sometimes... When he was young, he did sometimes show empathy and kindness, in a somehow rough way though, sharply ordering his little brother to be strong and to get up when Lee was crying over something... He mostly hid any softness to look tough already but Lee did notice some kind attitudes sometimes, mostly followed by some insult to hide the softness though, but still... Lately, Kazuya was more neutral in his ‘kind’ moments... He didn’t seem to try to hide any softness, he was just insensitive. Lee thought that Kazuya’s last kind moment may have been when he offered him the position at the Mishima Heavy Industries... And maybe it’s wasn’t exactly by kindness since he somehow knew Lee would corrupt himself by participating in Doctor Bosconovitch’s detention... Lee had loved the job but it was indeed not very morale... Maybe Kazuya wanted this to keep him from opposing the Mishima Zaibatsu now that he was as guilty as Kazuya... Well, not ‘as’ guilty but guilty anyway. So somehow it may not have been out of generosity for his brother that Kazuya offered him that position... Kazuya was now very calculating and manipulative... He could be very dangerous and mean... And he still had that horrible evil aura sometimes...

That aura, that Mishima curse... That entity may be what was corrupting him to be far worse than what Lee remembered of him as a child... Even Wang agreed that Kazuya would probably have been kind if not for that curse... And not only that curse but much of his personality and actions also came from his sad childhood...

Lee remembered all those times Heihachi was beating Kazuya while he was too scared to do anything against it... Fearing to be beaten as well... He should have done something to help his adoptive brother instead of silently crying or hiding or, even worse: Trying to please his adoptive father by serving him tea or whatever Heihachi was asking him while pretending not to see Kazuya being beaten or mistreated... like if it was none of his concern... so that Heihachi wouldn’t be angry at him as well, so that Heihachi would appreciate him... and shamefully, even somehow so that Heihachi saw that he was a better son than Kazuya and get some appreciation instead of that indifference Heihachi always had toward him... But if he had stood up for his brother, then Kazuya may not have turned out like this... It was partly his fault... But Lee never knew what to do... Aside from locking himself in his room or going out with his friends when he could to escape from those family problems... In other words: Aside from abandoning Kazuya. But anyway, Kazuya was always sending him away, each times he tried to console him... Lee told himself that he did try to help him... But Kazuya was sending him away... And not sending him away in the kindest way either... Kazuya could be very brutal... And sometimes Lee was not really eager to protect the one who just bullied him...

Yet mostly what really kept him from trying to reach Kazuya when he had been beaten by his father was that strange aura... That evil energy, that curse or possession... that scared Lee even if he didn’t know what it was, even if he didn’t want to believe something supernatural was there... Lee did feel something emanating from Kazuya sometimes... Some evil and that evil always felt much stronger after he had been mistreated by his father... Like Jun told him... Was he trying to protect himself from his father with that evil energy? Or was it only anger and other negative emotions emanating from him after those evil acts? Kazuya was emanating such evil sometimes...

They say opposite attract... Somehow Kazuya seemed to be the opposite of his girlfriend since Lee could also feel something emanating from Jun as well when he spoke to her... something pure and good... If she was to exorcise Kazuya maybe she really had powers... Maybe she could change him back to the kind person he too seldom knew...

Now with all that Kazuya was doing, Lee had honestly began believing Kazuya was not redeemable but Jun was now making him hope that it was not the case, that it was not Kazuya’s doing and making him believe that Kazuya was worth being saved... She probably knew better than him... She seemed to have powers and her family were exorcists... Learning of it, maybe it was why Kazuya sent her away? Well, the evil entity or that curse thing did? Lee now felt confused: He didn’t know if he should hate and fight Kazuya or help him...

While looking around, still holding the diary, Lee noticed the portrait of the Mishima Zaibatsu founder, Jinpachi Mishima. The portraits of the two previous CEOs, Jinpachi and Heihachi were normally hanged on that wall but not surprisingly, when he came in power, Kazuya had unhooked the Heihachi one, and probably destroyed it or something... Now only Jinpachi remained. The old man looked proud and noble and seemed to be looking at Lee. Despite it being a portrait, Lee got embarrassed in front of it. He was rummaging through Kazuya’s things and was trying to overthrow his grandson...

Wang asked him to bring honor to the Mishima Zaibatsu for Jinpachi but the Mishima grandfather probably would prefer if his grandson was saved instead of overthrown... Jinpachi loved Kazuya very much and probably died trying to protect him... Now that he knew about that story, Lee was looking at that unfamiliar adoptive grandfather in another light... Before that, he was just the previous CEO, the founder, a banal portrait with the usual Mishima hair but now he was a human, a loving grandfather... Someone who deserved respect... Lee thought that if he had to honor his adoptive grandfather who was mostly Kazuya’s grandfather, he had to try to save the grandchild.

"Drat... Jinpachi Mishima, I hate to say it but I guess the Mishima Zaibatsu belongs more to Kazuya than to me since it’s your company and your grandson... You probably want him to be saved from that curse... I’ll try but if it fails, I hope you will give me your blessing as the heir. I will have tried all I could to save your grandson."

Remembering those few times when Kazuya was kind and what he suffered, having seen Jun calm down that furious dog so easily, Lee decided to act and putting the diary on the desk, he took his cell phone. Yet he was also remembering other things...

"I already endured all I could from him... Kazuya has often been mean to me... for no reason... Hitting me and insulting me... Always taking or breaking all my things... I just hope he will also appreciate what I’m doing once he’s free from his curse... Kazuya, you better be grateful for it..."

Yet on a selfish note, Lee thought that it didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight Kazuya at the Tournament anyway... Kazuya did offer him the Mishima Zaibatsu if he won... Kazuya needed to be exorcised but maybe the Zaibatsu didn’t need to be his? And maybe Kazuya will be weakened by that exorcism... He won’t have his strange powers anymore... He did beat Heihachi with them... The night of the first Iron Fist Tournament, when Heihachi got beaten by Kazuya, Lee had noticed the strange burned wound on his father stomach... Kazuya definitively had some kind of strange power, more than the ‘normal’ Mishima powers... Something that even scared their fearless father... So that exorcism would be a win-win situation... Lee looked at Jinpachi’s portrait once more and asked him:

"But if I beat a purified, exorcised, Devil-free Kazuya and get the Zaibatsu, does it counts as treason? Ojiisan Jinpachi? I would have saved him from his possession... Well, Jun Kazama would have... So it’s okay, right? I’ll give him a job anyway..."

Without waiting for any response from a portrait, Lee dialed Jun’s number that was on the diary:

"Hello?" answered the WWWC agent.

"Miss Kazama? This is Lee Chaolan, Kazuya’s brother. Are you still willing to save Kazuya from his possession?"

Jun who had just reached the freeway, was surprised by the call and the question but she answered:

"Yes. I am."

"Then he is going at Todoroki Valley now. No bodyguard other than one friend. Be careful though, they may be dangerous, they have guns and they intend to do some crime. Kazuya can be really dangerous... If you go, it’s at your own risks. Or else I’ll try to find another time but I’m just not sure I’ll be able to."

"I will go. Arigato. Do not worry, I do not fear him."

But now feeling some trouble for telling her that, Lee added:

"... But I must tell you that Kazuya is intended on killing his father in an ambush when he will go there tonight. Maybe you shouldn’t go... Kazuya may not be easily convincible. Killing his father is kind of his life goal..."

"Even more a reason for me to go then. I’ll stop him."

Jun didn’t want Kazuya to kill his father. She slightly knew Heihachi and when he sometimes came to the WWWC, he was always cheerful and funny, she had difficulties to think he could be such a monster with Kazuya, yet she also believed Kazuya when he said his father did awful things to him. But she was not blaming Heihachi. Once more, she put the blame on the evil entity who somehow influenced mostly Kazuya but probably was also powerful enough to also influence his entourage to act in more cruel ways... Evil spawn evil so the evil entity probably liked when Heihachi was beating his son since it knew hate would grow inside of Kazuya... Maybe that evil entity also possessed Heihachi to hurt his son as Lee told her... But still, Heihachi was not completely at fault either.

"Wait for me then, I’ll come with you", said Lee who was worried for her.

"No. It will be more convincing if I go alone. He won’t listen with someone else. He’ll also feel less threatened if I’m alone, so less inclined to violence, thus it will be safer for me, in case you’re worried about me. Despite you working for him, I know about your rivalry, it won’t help me to calm Kazuya. No aggressive factor must be there. If you could stop your father from showing up instead, it would help me."

Jun knew about the rivalry between the brothers and thought it may not predispose Kazuya to be receptive to good energy if he saw Lee, even if they somehow were getting along right now and even if the rivalry may not be hateful... Rivalry was still not a good thing. Yet Lee insisted:

"But he already has a friend with him. Who could be violent."

"I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry. Kazuya won’t let him hurt me, I know it."

Having now a chance to talk to Kazuya once more, Jun hung up and quickly drove to that park. She had much to tell Kazuya, she had to save him, from that Devil, from the path he was treading and she had to tell him about the baby... Maybe... His evil entity was hiding him earlier in that office and she had been surprised of his sudden cold and harsh behavior after their beautiful date together, she somehow was caught off guard then, but now she was mentally preparing herself for meeting Kazuya in his most evil state. But first, she called her colleague to come and pick the dog in her car at the park’s parking. Whatever happened, the poor dog should not suffer for it...

Lee still didn’t know if he was sending her to her doom, maybe... Maybe he did a mistake to call her... He knew the police wouldn’t come even if he called them to go there, they feared the Mishima Zaibatsu too much to do anything against it... Yet Jun sounded so calm... Maybe she really knew what she was doing... He probably had to do as she asked and go stop Heihachi... but he would go after. Right now, he would have to be quick but he had to complete his search for Michelle’s mother... The drawers were all locked but the computer was now open, so Lee sat in front of it and began searching.

But as he was looking for hints on Michelle’s mother on the computer, Lee found even more incriminating files and vile acts that Kazuya was doing. He put some of those files on his flashdrive that he always carried on him as incriminating proofs should he need some one day while hoping to not be incriminated as well... But if he could somehow arrange this with the Tournament... First put himself in the position of power and he would then accuse Kazuya if the exorcism didn’t work...

Looking even deeper, he then fell once more on those human trafficking crimes. One of them was some deal that was about to be done with a human trafficking group named Flowers of death: A Native American woman, aged forty-five, probably the age of Michelle’s mother... sold to them for a deal in ten days... There were not many Native Americans around here, it probably was her...

"Kazuya buys people but he also sells them... He’s truly involved into this ‘business’... Disgusting... I’ll make him regret this... Oh yes, I will... Hum... How could I give Kazuya some troubles?"

Lee then cracked the computer once more, trying to give some problems to Kazuya with his human trafficking deals. He shouldn’t mess with the Zaibatsu since it will soon be his but those deals he loathed could be somehow ‘spoiled’ a bit... Lee didn’t want to receive money from such a business once the Mishima Zaibatsu would be his... Yet that money should be put to good use... Lee quickly accessed the only charity Kazuya was giving to, that children cause Bruce cared so much about and sent most of the money Kazuya received from the traffic to that cause. No one would know from where it came from since he made it as an anonymous donation, so authorities probably won’t take it back. Maybe Kazuya will think Bruce did it... Probably not, Bruce was not a computer expert... Kazuya will probably guess who the real responsible was after a while and Kazuya would kill him if he knew but will probably find out once the Tournament was started and Lee knew he would be out of here... Maybe Kazuya won’t even have time to find out about it... Maybe he’ll even approve if he is exorcised and becomes good...

"Hahahah... Excellent... For you, my disappeared friends... Ju-Long, Ting, Zhen, Ji-Hong, it’s done in your honor... Stupid human trafficking..."

But now, thinking about his lost friends, Lee felt slightly sad and depressed...

"Hum... I want to do something funny now... Oh! I’ll program some rebooting Tuesday at 2pm... Kazuya will have some fun when the computer will shut down in his face... Excellent! Just once, it must not look too suspect... Already the money transfer, which could have been done from another computer but the reboot is kind of specific to that computer..."

After having arranged a little bit of trouble for his brother, Lee noticed Jinpachi’s portrait once more. Lee stared at him and, shrugging, said:

"What? You wouldn’t disapprove of me doing this, right? Kazuya is a bad kid right now, he deserves some punishment..."

After this, Lee then thought he had found what he needed. No need to stay here anymore, so he quickly left. But before the elevator could come back to the 54th, he quickly came back to his desk:

"Oups... My keys..."

Taking his keys, he then quickly left again as the elevator doors opened. He had to stop his father from interrupting Kazuya’s exorcism...


	26. The exorcism

Quickly driving toward the place, exceeding the normal permitted speed since he had already lost much time at the office, Lee was still wondering if he should interfere in the meeting between Jun and Kazuya or try to stop his adoptive father from coming. Jun had told him to let no one come, it was already enough that Bruce Irvin was probably with them... If Heihachi was there, he would disrupt the exorcism that this woman was trying to do on Kazuya without any doubts. Heihachi never believed in kindness to repair anything. He’ll probably say that this was crazy and will say that a fist can do much more to change Kazuya... But if a fist did something, it was the wrong way... And it won’t help Kazuya who should remain calm to have that exorcism on him... If he see his father, he’ll be overcome by hate and any thoughts of kindness will vanish... If he could still have some... Lee still doubted about this but Jun seemed so certain... But one thing was for sure: If Kazuya and Heihachi met, they’ll both kill each other... Yet would it be a so bad thing?

Lee was still wondering about that idea of saving Kazuya and if it was worth it, or if it would even be possible, when he suddenly noticed Heihachi and his giant bear Kuma walking on the sidewalk. They were quite easy to notice... So he quickly drove toward them and stopped right in front before Heihachi could cross the road to go into the Todoroki Valley park entrance, his tires screeching as he abruptly braked. But before Lee could say anything, Heihachi then asked his adoptive son, as he held his hand over his heart:

"Lee! What’s the idea of coming on that fast? You want to kill your old man as well?"

"That’s an idea worth considering..."

"Well, you better keep it at the consideration state. I bet you just tried and wasn’t even able to do it... You always fail at everything you try..."

Lee made a displeased face.

"Because killing you was not my intention... then. Beside, you would stain my car. In reality, I wanted to ask you if you needed a lift..."

"What?"

"Have you gone deaf, Otousama? I asked if you needed a lift?"

"I’m not deaf, maybe you just don’t articulate your Japanese enough. Stop mumbling when you ask a question. No, I don’t need your lift, I keep in shape by walking to where I have to go. Beside seeing how you drive... Not to mention that I’m almost where I want to go."

"I didn’t mumble and you know I speak very well Japanese as I also drive very well! I even lost my Chinese accent and speak like a true native! You just never recognize my talents! And if you don’t want a lift, fine! I won’t get bear hair everywhere on my car seats!" replied Lee, insulted by his father’s reply.

"It’s so easy to make you fly off the handle now that you hang out with Kazuya... Have you ever noticed he’s a bad example? Don’t follow your big brother in everything..."

"Well, at least I get to still be paid, not live in the streets like you... You pretend your primary goal is to keep in shape but don’t you regret when you had your limo taking you everywhere? You didn’t care about walking to keep in shape then..."

"You know I kept in shape in lots of other ways as well. Don’t try to mock me or lecture me about my habits. With your own unhealthy habits, you’ll probably die before even reaching my age. Tobacco, alcohol, party... and now driving recklessly... I never taught you such bad habits... You’re such a degenerate... You poor upstarts never know how to dose it once you get some money... You’ve always been worse than Kazuya on the expensive futilities and luxuries..."

"I don’t abuse any of those... Beside I’m not a de..."

Heihachi interrupted him:

"But still you don’t qualify to be called a good healthy martial artist. You’re just a garbage. I really picked you from a dumpster..."

Pouting, Lee frowned and replied:

"Oh, really? We’ll see once in the Tournament who’s the worthless one!"

"Oh, so you’re participating as well? I thought you first were trying to suck up to me with that lift so that I would keep you in the Zaibatsu once I won. Sucking up from one to another... That’s probably your talent you were talking about. And I don’t think it’s in a Tournament that you’ll have any chances proving you’re better than me at anything. You just picked the wrong area of expertise."

Suddenly changing the subject, mostly trying to ignore the answer, Lee noticed Heihachi’s singular backpack that suddenly began to move and whimper.

"What’s that? Another bear? You began working at the WWWC or what?"

"No, he’s my new bundle of joy. Better than Kazuya and you have ever been."

"Humpf. You can say and try to insult us like if we have always been worthless but I heard you loved Kazuya very much when he was a baby."

"Didn’t you see how ugly he turned? My bears will always remain cute."

"Well, there’s a family ressemblance... between you and Kazuya, not you and the bears. Sadly for you. And cute or not, I’m surprised they let you walk around the city with your menagerie..."

"I’m surprised they let you drive around the city with your car... But me and my bears are quite an attraction. The kids love Kuma. And mostly little Kuma. We have to refuse all the cookies and candies they want to give him."

"Little Kuma? They are both called Kuma? Why?"

"Why do you ask me? Kuma is the one who called his son Kuma. And have you ever heard of the term junior?"

Kuma growled as if agreeing with his master. Not impressed by the answer he somehow found ridiculous, Lee asked:

"And what? Kuma II’s cub will be called Kuma III?"

Heihachi crossed his arms and proudly said:

"Yup. Then Kuma IV, Kuma V... Kuma one hundred... In fact it depends on what Kuma II will decide. Maybe it will be a little Heihachi…"

"Eww..." said Lee who couldn’t repress his feelings at the thought of another Heihachi.

Heihachi seemed very amused by the conversation while Lee suddenly wondered why he was doing this. Why was he here, talking to a man who was constantly mocking him? He resented his father so much now and he also despised Kazuya as well, he didn’t even think Jun would be able to do anything for Kazuya who was just a monster and who only kept worsening day after day. He tried himself to be friend with Kazuya and it never worked. Why has he been convinced it would work now with Jun? The Mishimas were all evil and insensible persons and Lee was now quite angry at any of them. The only person he cared about in all of this right now was Jun even if he barely knew her. But he was somehow putting her in danger right now for that stupid ‘exorcism’ that would probably not work... Leaving her alone with the possessed maniac and a gun-loving brute. Jun wasn’t even able to convince Kazuya to not break up with her, how would she be able to exorcise him? Lee thought that maybe he shouldn’t even try to stop Heihachi... Maybe his adoptive father would even save Jun from Kazuya if he arrived there... How much time does an exorcism takes? How much time does receiving a bullet in the head takes...? Beside, maybe Kazuya and Heihachi would kill each other... and he would be left with the Mishima Zaibatsu all to himself... Right now, why was he protecting this annoying father from Kazuya or vice versa?

"You know what? I don’t even know why I’m speaking to you... Have fun with your teddy bears, I’m done losing my time here."

And making his tires screech as the car began to roll away, Lee left while Heihachi smiled in satisfaction. It seemed he won the first match against Lee... Lee could never hold his own against him... That petty kid...

* * *

Meanwhile Jun found Kazuya and Bruce. Kazuya had first been surprised by her presence and said (as he quickly hid his gun behind him, in his belt):

"Jun? What are you doing here? Go away!"

"No. I need to speak to you. I really do."

Sighing, Kazuya turned toward Bruce and said:

"Go inspect near the temple. See if he’s already there."

Nodding, Bruce left, leaving the ex-lovers together. Kazuya then turned toward Jun and asked her on an angry tone before he quickly crossed his arms again:

"Who told you I was here?"

"No one. I just had to pass here to go to the Temple and I felt your presence. You do radiate a lot", said Jun, who could feel the evil coming from him.

He definitively was about to commit some evil deed... His Devil persona was strong tonight... Full of hate... Somehow it made Jun very sad. She had tried to change him all those times, she had felt that he had dropped some barriers... The night they conceived their child, during that lovely date at his mansion, he looked almost freed from that evil, he looked so at peace... but now...

"Leave now. Go on with your... temple worshipping", said Kazuya with a scornful air.

"No. I first have many things to tell you."

Jun was feeling awkward before Kazuya who was standing there, his arms crossed as if he didn’t wish for any contact with her... In fact, she knew he didn’t...

"You always cross your arms. What are you afraid of? What are you trying to protect yourself from?"

"Stop with that, Jun", said Kazuya on a slightly softer yet annoyed tone.

Jun noticed a slight concern for her in Kazuya’s eyes. She was glad to notice that her lover still had feelings for her, despite this cold air he had since she arrived. She knew he had a gun behind him but she also trusted him not to use it on her.

"I feel you are in an aggressive mood tonight. Do you intend to hurt someone?"

Kazuya looked at her with a small surprised expression: Jun was so good at reading his mind, his intentions... Yet she may have seen the gun but... she was also like that on their last date, she understood him on many things that he couldn’t even express... And now she knew of his intentions... again...

"Leave now. You don’t want to see this. I’ll kill Oyaji once and for all and get my revenge. Then I’ll be able to live normally as you wish."

"Yes, you told me before that you would be freed once this would be done. But if you fall into hate, you won’t be able to get out and live normally after... Maybe your father is mean and has done cruel things to you but why don’t you do like you did on our date and forget about him? You remember how you felt so much better and serene? Hate is not the solution, it never is. Hate sparks hate while love..."

Jun still wondered if she should talk about their baby. Even if she was trying to save him, she feared Kazuya would not be a good example for the child yet maybe by telling him, he would try to be... But she had to protect her child first, and see to Kazuya’s soul before she put her baby in danger... Kazuya interrupted her:

"I don’t need any of your advices. If we see each other again another day, maybe we will talk. Now go. Don’t ever talk about what happened or will happen here or I will have to send killers for you. I don’t wish to but I will. I’m serious. Dead serious."

"Kazuya, you have to liste…"

Moving toward her, Kazuya suddenly grabbed her arms and told her on a harsh and threatening tone:

"Leave the place... NOW!"

First surprised by the sudden grip her lover had on her, Jun also firmly grabbed his forearms and told him on a determined tone:

"Kazuya! Listen to me, you’re not yourself."

"I told you to leave! Stop with your stupidities!"

Jun looked Kazuya in the eyes and said:

"I want to speak with Kazuya, not you!"

Kazuya made his usual lopsided grin and said:

"But I am Kazuya, Jun."

"No. Kazuya loves me. He’s not cold like you."

"Humpf! You think I ever loved you?"

"Kazuya did."

Kazuya sneered.

"You’re so ridiculous!"

Jun kept on holding Kazuya, as he was also holding her, and she looked into his eyes once more. His eyes showed evilness yet she had the feeling something good was behind but the evil was very strong... Like in the office... Covering all... Yet Jun thought with some worry that the entity could not take over so fast unless Kazuya permitted it...

"Kazuya, I know you’re not like that..."

Kazuya suddenly seemed to regain some sense as he lowered his head and told her on a softer tone:

"Jun... I told you to go."

But as he was releasing her arms, Kazuya brutally kicked Jun with his knee in the stomach. Jun fell down, holding her belly in pain. She feared for her child and angered by that attack on the baby, despite Kazuya not knowing about it, she lifted her head, looking angrily toward her lover with tearful eyes. Kazuya was gazing at her with a cold and scornful gaze... Getting up, Jun said:

"Fine. It seems I must put some sense in your head... in your heart... with the only way you will understand now..."

Jun then quickly kicked Kazuya who fell down on his back before she jumped over him and grabbed his arms. Closing her eyes, concentrating and holding his wrists very tightly, some light then began emanating from her hands and Kazuya became even more furious, his brown eyes suddenly both turned shiny red and he said while growling:

"Arrgh! What do you think you’re doing, you wretch!?"

"I have to use the last resort to save Kazuya!"

Kazuya lifted his head in a scornful expression and spitted:

"Humpf! Pitiful human! You’re weak!"

"You do not know me..." said Jun on a resolved tone as she continued concentrating on the purifying energy.

She was now using all the spiritual power she could gather on her lover to purify him from the evil influence. Last time, she only used her proximity and it seemed to work but now Kazuya needed the whole powerful treatment, a real exorcism. And she was now fully mentally prepared. Kazuya began to scream in pain as the light seemed to invade his arms and between his screams of pain, he growled once more:

"You do not know me either..."

Kazuya suddenly opened that hidden third eye on his forehead and shot at Jun who despite being surprised by the strange attack, quickly avoided it by rolling away yet leaving Kazuya free in the process. Kazuya quickly got up, then backed away, shaking his wounded arms to get the painful pure energy out of them. Then as Jun was still on the ground, somehow surprised by his strange attack, Kazuya quickly changed into his Devil form to fly and then drop on her.

But as he came down on her, Jun kicked him with both her legs before she got up. Devil Kazuya flew away in shock before he looked at Jun with intense hate and threw himself at her once more, intending to grab her, bring her up and throw her down. But before he could grab her, Jun quickly punched him in the face, stopping his attack. Yet she felt that with that horrible form, Kazuya was now completely possessed and she suddenly feared she would not be able to do much in the purifying sense... Meanwhile Kazuya threw himself at her with a spinning kick. Jun fell down and quickly rolled away when Kazuya came down on her with an electrical punch. She quickly got up and ran behind a tree to avoid the beam he was now trying to hit her with. Jun hesitated for a moment if she should flee or stay to fight Kazuya and exorcise him once he would be unconscious. She had her baby to think of...

But the Devil quickly flew to her and before she could do anything, the monster was just beside her, he brutally grabbed her neck and violently slammed her head on the tree. Stunned and trying to free herself, Jun grabbed the monster’s arms and kicked him in the stomach. Devil Kazuya backed away before he came back charging with a kick that Jun barely avoided. They fought for a while in the darkness of the late evening but Jun couldn’t shake that dizziness she felt since the violent head strike and couldn’t fight back as efficiently as she would have wished. Devil Kazuya once more flew over her and kicked her in the back, making her fall down before he knocked her down with another kick.

As Jun was now unconscious, Devil Kazuya stared at her with a cold and insensitive look, crossing his arms once more. Then turning human once more, Kazuya suddenly regained some sanity, or mostly empathy. Kazuya knew he wasn’t as innocent in this as Jun thought, he had allowed Devil to take over, he knew Jun would get hurt and even if it somehow still saddened him a bit, it had to be done. Kazuya then bent toward her and as he looked at her, a slight regret of having hurt her washed over him as he remembered their tender moments together. He softly brushed her face with the back of his hand.

"... Jun... I’m sorry..."

But he quickly wiped his feelings away. She loved him, he probably, he did love her as well but it could not go on. It was impossible. She had seen something that he wasn’t and even made him believe it for some times but it was all over. She had also seen tonight what he really was and she probably now wanted to really destroy him... Like she already wanted to destroy his ambitions... with all her annoying peace and forgiveness talk... which in a weird twisted way was also why he loved her... But he should kill her... Just like how Devil destroyed Angel in his dreams sometimes ago, after that attempt on his life where he realized that he was weak... Everything became much simpler after that...

He didn’t want to see Jun anymore because all those Angel and Devil dilemma problems came when they met. He had to pick a side and he knew he needed Devil’s strength to beat his father, he couldn’t without it... Last time, he won only because of Devil... Jun could not take him away... Between Jun and Devil, despite missing his lover, Kazuya choose Devil. Devil saved his life when he was a child and saved it once more in that murder attempt last time. Jun only brought him weaknesses and dilemmas...

Yet Kazuya had the feeling she didn’t walk in here by chance... She specifically came to stop him... How did she know about his ambush? She definitively had special powers... She was dangerous, he should kill her now... She witnessed his Devil form and would be a witness once Heihachi will be killed...

Kazuya grabbed his gun and looked at Jun once more.

He had to kill her... But he just couldn’t... He already decided to cut his ties with her but he could not go to the point of killing her... No, they will change their plans, that’s all... Kill Heihachi another day... Beside he just didn’t feel like confronting the old man tonight... He knew he would kill him one day, nothing would change his mind, not even Jun but he just felt too troubled tonight for anything.

Then as Kazuya was still lost in his thoughts, Bruce came back. Noticing that Kazuya had settled the discussion with that woman by beating her, he dared ask:

"So... who was that?"

Kazuya had always kept quite discreet with his love life, he also didn’t meet Jun very often and Bruce never met Jun, despite being the closest friend Kazuya had. Looking troubled, Kazuya looked toward him and wondered if Bruce saw anything compromising. Did he see him turning into a monster? His shirt was still ripped in the back... Kazuya thought that maybe it could have been during a normal fight... Bruce would not think it necessarily was by spreading some wings... Which would be ridiculous for a normal person to think so...

"You didn’t see what happened?"

"No. Who is she? So you know her?"

He probably had seen nothing, thought Kazuya with some relief. He did wonder what Bruce would say if he knew of his Devil side... He would probably turn against him... Kazuya was really troubled by both the pain of having to fight Jun and the fear of being discovered for what he really was...

"... She’s someone I had a disagreement with", simply answered the Mishima CEO on a distant tone.

Knowing Kazuya wouldn’t say more and walking toward the unconscious Jun while holding his gun, Bruce asked:

"Do we... silence her?"

Lowering his head while lifting his hand to stop Bruce, Kazuya said on that still distant tone:

"No. We put her in the car. And leave."

"We leave? We don’t kill the old fool?"

Noticing Kazuya’s troubled behaviour toward the woman despite trying to hide it behind his ‘distant’ tone, Bruce had deduced that Kazuya had some kind of ‘feelings’ toward her, some tie or at least a reason to not kill her, but Heihachi Mishima was a monster, Bruce never forgave him for how he had beaten Kazuya as a kid, for all the cruelties he did to his son. He was eager to see the old fool get killed... and was even more surprised to see Kazuya not share the same eagerness now... But Kazuya repeated:

"We leave. The old fool can get lost tonight. Nothing must happen to her. We’re taking her to the hospital."

"Oh. Okay."

Kazuya was still troubled by all that happened but told himself that if they had not fought now, they would have done it later since she always came back to admonish him on something... She had not the same ideas as him, far from it... and he didn’t intend to stop anything of what he was doing... Jun’s lovely eyes won’t stop him from reaching his goals... She had to leave his life or change... But since she would never change and he was too weak to kill her, at least he would keep her away... She would now know she should never come back... and probably wouldn’t talk about him...

Bruce was rather confused; That woman was someone Kazuya knew and somehow ‘disagreed’ with... Yet Bruce had never seen Kazuya look so troubled in front of someone he just beat. He really seemed to care for that woman... in his own way at least, since he did beat her... And mostly, this woman seemed important enough so that Kazuya interrupts his scheme of killing his hated father tonight... Which was something... Who was that woman?

But whatever, after all, it was Kazuya who knew that woman, who had organized that plan... If he wanted to stop, they’ll stop... Kazuya was the boss, it was none of his business and Bruce had nothing against that woman, he even felt somehow relieved that they didn’t kill an ordinary innocent person if she was, so as Kazuya picked Jun in his arms, Bruce went to the car to open the doors so they could bring her to the hospital... All along the way, Bruce didn’t ask anything and Kazuya didn’t say anything.

* * *

Sometimes later Heihachi, Kuma and Kuma II walked along the small road. Suddenly Kuma began to snif the area and went to the side of the road. He looked on edge.

"What is it, Kuma?" asked Heihachi as he looked around suspiciously.

"Groooarr! Rrrroooarrr!"

"It stink? Kazuya? Oh, he’s trying to ambush me now..."

"KAZUYA! SHOW YOURSELF! COWARD!"

After a while, nobody showed up and Kuma calmed down. The scent had faded... Heihachi smiled; First, Lee fled before him, now Kazuya fled as well... This was a very good omen for the Tournament... Heihachi began to laugh victoriously before he and his bears continued their way through the wood toward the Temple.


	27. The Second Iron Fist Tournament

Friday evening, the day before the beginning of the Second Iron Fist Tournament, Marshall and Paul arrived to the luxurious apartment complex where Lee was living. They both were dressed as elegantly as they could with classy suits since Lee had asked them to and they knew how he was touchy on elegance. Paul even had his hair falling freely on the side of his head and the longer part tied up behind to look more elegant. No hairspray for now.

They were already kind of impressed by the look of the building and its area. Super neat grass, perfectly cut hedge and even a fountain in front of the place... For a guy who’s been kicked out of his home some time ago, Lee was not exactly living in misery... Marshall and Paul had both been kicked out of their apartment one day or another and didn’t have an opportunity to go into something like this after... Paul often lived on Marshall’s couch and Marshall remembered that time not so long ago, in fact just last year, when he, his wife and his son Forest had to leave at night so that the landlord didn’t realize they fled without paying the three month late rent. They didn’t even have a car and used Paul’s motorcycle to take as much possessions as they could take out from the apartment. Luckily, they always had each other in case of trouble...

“So, the party is at the eleventh floor?” asked Paul to Marshall as he replaced his vest, feeling a little intimidated by the place.

“That’s what Chaolan said... Anyway, we’ll probably hear some music or something... The party is supposed to have begun since one hour and a half...”

Indeed once they took the elevator and reached the eleventh floor, loud music could be heard coming from a particular apartment, so Marshall went there with Paul and knocked at the door. After a moment, Lee opened. He had a glass of brandy in one hand while a woman was lovingly hanging on to him.

“Heey! Marshall! Paul! You could come! Excellent! Make yourself at home!”

“Yeah, we just got lost trying to find your place”, said Marshall, who added:

“Aren’t you worried the noise will bother your neighbours? It’s so loud!”

Lee laughed before he said:

“No, they’re all at the party! Right, Hoshiko?” said Lee while addressing the smiling girl that he was now holding by the waist before he kissed her on the lips and added:

"Hoshiko lives just next door. I have very good relations with my neighbours..."

"I can see that..." said Marshall who thought Lee may be slightly drunk, Hoshiko as well... Looking inside the apartment, it looked like a lot of people already were as well... The music was very loud and people were dancing all around while drinking and eating. The place was full. Showing the place with his arm, Lee repeated:

"As I said, make yourself at home! We’re celebrating the beginning of the Second Iron Fist Tournament!"

"And my future victory! WOOHOO!" yelled Paul as he had already lost any shyness and jumped on the sofa, lifting his arms in the air while Lee began to laugh, lifting his glass to Paul.

"Excellent! Hahaha!"

While Paul was already dancing on the sofa, spinning some cushion over his head, Lee told Marshall:

"Serve yourself something. Go to the kitchen, we have some alcohol, some juice or tea and many snacks. Take whatever you like."

"Okay. Thanks... Cool..."

Going toward the kitchen, Marshall had to push away some women who wanted to dance with him and tell them he was married so that they would leave him alone. Meanwhile, looking a little more serious and letting go of Hoshiko after one last kiss, Lee went into his bedroom to make a call. But the phone kept ringing without anyone answering.

"Drat... Why is she never answering? It’s bad enough that I can’t do anything more for Michelle, now Jun Kazama is dead... I just hope laoshi will be able to reach Michelle to tell her the infos I found... and that he won’t find out about my party..."

Laughing about that last part, Lee drunkenly let himself fall on his bed.

* * *

After speaking with his adoptive father Wednesday to stop him from interrupting the exorcism and then giving up, Lee went to the temple to look for Jun and Kazuya. He found none of them and not even Bruce Irvin. He saw Jun’s WWWC truck in the park’s parking but no traces of her or even the dog... Maybe she took the dog with her for some safety? But the dog was wounded... Lee searched for any traces of Jun or even the dog and despite looking further around the woods, he found no one.

He did regret having somehow let Jun down... She asked him to keep Heihachi away but his adoptive father always knew how to make him feel belittled and Lee just couldn’t stand staying there with him anymore so he fled. Yet it probably wasn’t Heihachi who did something to Jun but Kazuya... Heihachi probably didn’t even see them. If his adoptive father had seen Kazuya, they would probably have been still fighting when he would have arrived and they would have caused some damage around them. Lee knew that he would certainly have found them then. But if Kazuya killed Jun with his gun, probably with a silencer, it could be far more discreet.

Worried, he had returned the next day before work, when it wasn’t as dark as during the night, trying to find Jun in case she somehow was wounded or dead somewhere, he called her on her phone multiple times but there was never any answer... Yet the truck was still there... Lee called the WWWC to know if they had news of Jun and they didn’t but he learned the dog was safe with them. Jun had called them the other day to ask them to come and get the dog but didn’t explain why. Luckily some colleague was near and could come quite fast to get the dog but Jun had already left. As some of her co-workers said, she never was very talkative and was very secretive...

Lee then went to work a little late but he knew Kazuya would leave with Bruce for two days at 10am and he didn’t really wish to see his brother or Bruce before they left, so he wanted to arrive late for work to not meet any of them... He honestly may not have gone to work if he thought Kazuya was staying all day... Maybe Kazuya knew of what he did and Lee didn’t want to confront him already. That evening, during training, he told Wang about Michelle and Wang agreed to try to meet her and tell her about her mother if he could.

* * *

Now Lee still worried that Kazuya would do something to Michelle’s mother and hoped she would be freed soon even if he still didn’t know how. Yet putting his worries aside, lying down on his bed, Lee said:

"Well, since there’s not much I can do more... At least, I can have some fun..."

But as he was enjoying the somehow slightly dizzy and drunken state he was in, staring blissfully at the ceiling, Lee suddenly heard some noise in the living room, much louder than the music, laughing and conversations that were happening before. Some people were fighting. Lee quickly ran outside of his room to go where the trouble was. Marshall and Paul were arguing with one of the guest, a contestant named Baek Doo San. Marshall and Baek were fighting against one another while Paul was encouraging his friend and insulting his adversary. Some people were also encouraging while others were leaving the party, fearing the sudden violent confrontation. Lee threw himself toward the fighters to stop them.

"Hey! What are you doing? Stop fighting! You’re destroying my apartment!"

"He destroyed my dojo! I didn’t even finish paying for it yet! I’m indebted like crazy now!" yelled Marshall as he sent a punch toward Baek who quickly evaded it.

"What?" asked Lee as Marshall was now trying to parry Baek’s reply. Lee tried to intervene between them:

"Stop fighting both of you! Paul, help me!"

But Paul only repeated the accusations Marshall made:

"That loser destroyed Marshall’s dojo! He’s a dirty bastard! An a**hole!"

"Why did you invite that guy?" yelled Marshall in anger as he directed a kick at Baek while Lee was now suddenly standing in the trajectory.

The sober Baek, who never drank any alcohol due to the fact his father had been a heavy drinker and lost everything because of it, quickly sidestepped while the slightly drunken Lee was not quick enough and received the kick in the face. He fell down on his glass coffee table, breaking it while sending all the drinks on the luxurious carpet and on himself. Seeing this, Marshall quickly stopped while Baek backed away. After a moment of embarrassment where no one did anything, Baek told Lee:

"I’m deeply sorry. Sorry for the trouble. I’ll leave."

As Baek quickly went toward the door, he walked near Paul who made a gesture like he was about to hit him with a punch but Baek only took a parrying position without replying.

"Chickening out?" asked Paul who stopped his move.

"No. Not here. We’ll see each other at the Tournament. We’ve done enough here."

Baek was slightly embarrassed and remorseful since both the fight here and the dojo’s destruction were not something he wanted to do. But he had been forced by someone to attack Marshall’s dojo since that person knew his horrible past. Baek had accidentally killed his father during some training with him years ago and that person threatened to reveal it if he didn’t attack that person’s competitors, one of whom happened to be Marshall. Baek had personally nothing against Marshall and didn’t want to destroy everything there or at this party now... He didn’t expect fighting tonight and he was surprised when Marshall entered the kitchen where he was talking with others, and instantly recognized him before attacking him in revenge. Baek had not foreseen he would meet that American guy here at the party... But he thought it would be best if he left now.

Growling in anger but thinking that Baek had a point, Paul let him leave and turned toward Lee and Marshall while many other people were now leaving the party. Lee seemed very upset while remaining sitting on the ground as Marshall was now very embarrassed.

"I’m sorry, Chaolan, but that guy just came to my dojo and destroyed everything!"

"And why did he do that?" asked Lee, mostly sulking over his spoiled party and wiping the blood from his nose.

"I don’t know. I wish I knew. But to see him here infuriated me... I just couldn’t let him go away with that... So we started fighting in the kitchen and went toward the living room..."

Lee could indeed tell they followed that path since it seemed all the kitchen utensils were now spilled halfway between the kitchen and the corridor while the corridor now had two holes in the wall... They didn’t pull their punches... His delicate and luxurious mirror had also fallen from the wall like some other frames and was now shattered in pieces...

Trying to hide his anger, Lee got up and asked the remaining guests to forgive him since the party was now over. People started to leave and Lee was quite upset. It had been so long that he had been quiet and serious, not meeting anyone outside of the job... He had now invited all the apartments’ neighbours, many of his friends he had neglected since months and even some new foreign contestants who knew no one, like Baek, since he wanted to make them feel welcome in Japan (and maybe get some allies against Kazuya). And he had invited a lot of girls. He had now decided to stop hiding since he would get the Mishima Zaibatsu soon... No need to remain eternally ashamed... and he didn’t want to think of the threats Kazuya was sending toward him. He would party like crazy and not let his brother spoil his fun. Though he didn’t tell about the party to Wang Jinrei, in fear of being scolded by the more disciplined old man who always told him to train first, party later, and to party after a victory, not before... But after all this time, he had finally organized something and it had to be spoiled by some stupid fight... Looking at the shattered table and glasses with drinks spilled everywhere, at the damage Marshall and Baek already had done before he interrupted them, Lee felt disheartened.

"We’ll help you take care of this mess, it’s my fault, I’m sorry", said Marshall, putting his hand over Lee’s shoulder while feeling guilty and adding:

"Where is the vacuum cleaner?"

"Yeah, don’t fret about it..." added Paul while they were now almost the only two persons remaining, apart from a few other friends...

Since he didn’t have enough money to hire a house cleaner, Lee was doing all his housework alone. He was somehow glad some friends had remained to help him clean up this mess... But he still was very upset...

Yet Marshall was also still ashamed as he took the vacuum cleaner and said to Lee:

"I’m sorry again."

He then added on an embarrassed tone:

"... I’ll pay the damages for the broken things and the wall."

"No, it’s okay. You’re already indebted enough, you have a family to take care of, you need your money. It’s okay, don’t worry about it. It’s only mundane things and I’ll call someone to repair the wall during the week. It’s no big deal."

"Thanks, Chaolan…"

Marshall seemed relieved by Lee’s words; he was indeed indebted so much already... Somehow more relaxed, he began to vacuum the mirror’s broken remains.

Looking at Marshall vacuuming his remaining tiny mirror pieces, Lee thought about that thing they say about broken mirrors. Seven years of woe... Would that mean he would lose that Tournament? And everything? That was ridiculous. He had a lot of mirrors in his apartment, it didn’t mean he should be subjected to more bad luck than someone who had no mirror to break... It was only superstition... But still Lee knew his party was somehow the ‘end of the world’ party, he wanted to party like there was no tomorrow since he was risking all on this Tournament... His job, his well-being, maybe even his life this time... He somehow was even more frustrated that the party had been interrupted to abruptly... But he tried to tell himself that the next one, his victory one, will be far more glorious and exciting...

* * *

The Second Iron Fist Tournament finally began that Saturday...

In the afternoon, Lee went to the arena for the qualifying rounds. But as he was changing in the common locker rooms with other fighters since this time he had no private locker room, Kazuya entered the place. He was elegantly dressed since he would welcome important people this afternoon and preside the real opening ceremony tonight. Seeing Lee, he told him:

"So, you’re here."

"Yes. By the way, I quit my job", answered Lee who suddenly wondered if he did well to say it already, maybe he would need to go back in the office for some investigation but whatever. Kazuya probably wasn’t already happy of him being late Thursday and anyway, they now suspected and threatened him and he did some maybe not too careful action by cracking the computer to shut down Tuesday, even if it was funny. But Kazuya didn’t seem angry and simply answered:

"I know. I just ordered a coffee machine installed in my office."

"Haha... Very funny..." replied Lee, insulted of being compared to a coffee machine.

As Kazuya made his usual lopsided grin, happy of Lee’s reaction, Lee thought: I hope you’ll enjoy your new coffee machine when your computer will reboot Tuesday... You’ll have time to get a nice, hot coffee...

But more seriously, Lee wondered if the exorcism had worked. Kazuya’s little teasing reply wasn’t proof he was possessed by an evil entity and he had no news of Jun who was never answering her phone. But she would probably have answered if it had worked... Kazuya probably killed her...

Kazuya continued talking about Lee’s resignation:

"I knew you would do that and I wasn’t surprised to see your name on the contestants list this morning. Since you were in charge of it, you tried to hide that list until the big day, right? Bruce also told me you were trying to hide your real fighting strength when you fought together. Don’t take him for a fool and don’t take me for one either... You do try to hide a lot of things from me... But I always know..."

Lee said nothing, wondering what Kazuya knew exactly but made an almost cheeky smile as he then said:

"I’m not hiding that you’ll replace that coffee machine once I win the Tournament."

"Humpf. Like I would lower myself to serve you coffee... I’m not you."

"Fine. Then you’ll have to pick a job elsewhere. Beside, I don’t like coffee."

"I don’t care what you like. But now that you participate, you do remember that you’ll get no job or no help from me anymore?"

"I do. And I don’t really care."

"And you do know that you’ll get no protection from me either..."

"And what’s that supposed to mean? A threat? Again?" asked Lee who didn’t seem impressed but mostly annoyed by it.

But Kazuya didn’t answer and asked while looking around:

"The old fool hasn’t arrived yet?"

"I didn’t see him. If you mean the old fool I think you mean."

"You know what old fool. I know no other old fool."

"Well, I didn’t see him. Luckily."

It’s already enough that I see you, thought Lee while Kazuya was now thinking about something else. The Mishima CEO was now hoping the assassin he sent yesterday had succeeded in the last chance to kill Heihachi before the Tournament, despite not having much hopes in it. He didn’t dare go himself to kill Heihachi now that Bruce had left and wouldn’t be able to have his back. Before he went into that fake death they organized, that should in fact happen tonight, Bruce did worry for his friend, thinking Kazuya looked troubled since he met that woman and told him to call if anything was wrong but Kazuya didn’t want to look like a weakling and told Bruce to not blow his cover until the cop looking for him was dead. So Bruce left. Having nothing to do in the locker room anymore, Kazuya then turned to go away.

"Well then, good luck in your fights", said Kazuya to his adoptive brother as he left.

"...Thank you", said Lee, a little surprised by those words. He never knew what to expect of Kazuya... Yet Kazuya probably didn’t mean what he just said...

Still wondering what happened Wednesday night, Lee had wondered if he should ask about Jun but somehow it wouldn’t change anything and may even get Kazuya angry or suspicious. He better call Jun again once he has some times. Yet Kazuya didn’t seem too evil or possessed right now... But he could be very treacherous sometimes... And why was Jun not answering if she was alive?

* * *

Meanwhile, Michelle was eating at some restaurant not too far from the arena. Lee would fight in half an hour but she didn’t get any news from him since they met Monday night and only got a visit from someone else instead on Wednesday morning...

* * *

When she had just woke up, Wednesday, Michelle received some visit to her hotel room. It was the Mishima CEO in person, Kazuya Mishima. Fearing for her mother’s safety, Michelle didn’t dare do anything and looked at him, waiting to know what he wanted, despite not being able to completely hide the anger she felt toward him that was showing in her eyes. The Mishima CEO looked very cold and smug as he looked at her with a condescending gaze. He didn’t even greet her (as she didn’t either) and said:

"I just came to tell you that you should cease trying to find your mother and stop trying to get help from outside. I thought I made myself clear. I asked you to fight in the Tournament, so you will fight in the Tournament. Or else you’ll never see your mother again. I don’t have much patience with people who don’t do as I tell them."

Michelle wondered how Kazuya learned about it. Did Lee talk? But Kazuya wouldn’t come to try to dissuade her then, if Lee was a spy, he wouldn’t need to be stopped from seeing her he would just stop or continue to spy... Yet it made sense that he would report what she told him to his boss so that she wouldn’t seek help elsewhere... Maybe she made a mistake trusting him... But he seemed so trustworthy and concerned for her and her mother... Maybe he got threatened or even beaten and somehow told Kazuya Mishima what he knew... Yet Michelle thought that since Lee was still working for them after all those events, he must have betrayed her...

Michelle still stared proudly without a word at Kazuya but suddenly felt very sad at the thought that she truly was alone in this and that after having thought she had some support from Lee Chaolan, she didn’t have any help anymore, not much choices or even much hopes. Lee Chaolan didn’t want to help her and betrayed her... Despite not wanting to show any weakness, her eyes suddenly got wet and Kazuya noticed it. Crossing his arms, he outlined a cruel smile at her pain before he continued addressing her on a harsh tone:

"Understood? You do as I say or you’ll regret it."

Michelle lost her proud attitude and asked on a worried tone:

"... My mother? Is she okay?"

"I told you: Do as I say and you’ll see your mother, stray from that and..."

Kazuya made a gesture as if someone neck was cut. Frantic, Michelle quickly took off her amulet and offered it to Kazuya.

"Look! I give you my amulet, right now! Give me back my mother! Please!"

Not even uncrossing his arms to take it, Kazuya looked at the amulet, then at her with his usual lopsided grin, scorning her offer.

"Humpf. I don’t want it now. I want to win it in the fight... I want to feel your fear and worries... It wouldn’t be fun otherwise..."

And slightly chuckling, Kazuya left, leaving Michelle angry, scared and worried for her mother.


	28. New allies

Michelle was at the restaurant and she was asking herself a lot of questions. After Kazuya’s visit, she wondered about many things: How did Kazuya Mishima knew about her asking help from Lee Chaolan? Was Lee as trustworthy as she first thought?

He didn’t steal the amulet last time, when she was unconscious in his car, he could very well have taken it for his boss, he didn’t, he helped her all along, even taking her to the doctor... He probably was alright... Her father had told her he had the feeling that Lee was a good person... But that was before he got killed by the Mishima Zaibatsu which Lee worked for... and was still working for... But if it’s not Lee who betrayed her, then who talked? Spies? She had disguised herself and watched out for anyone following her when she met Lee but maybe she just didn’t notice... Maybe Lee was followed... Maybe they caught him and he had been threatened to reveal all... But maybe his loyalty was not to Heihachi Mishima that he betrayed by helping her but to Kazuya Mishima...

When the Tournament began, she noticed Lee among others while he did not seem to have noticed her. If he did not betray her, at least, he wasn’t killed but somehow the fact that he seemed alright may also hint that he betrayed her... But she couldn’t contact him anymore to know why he talked or if he talked, it wasn’t only being seen by others working for Kazuya Mishima that she feared since Lee could be the one telling everything to his boss... She didn’t know if she could approach him without putting her mother in danger...

Feeling too tormented while staying in the arena, not feeling joyful and excited like many people around her, Michelle had left to go to some nearby restaurant where she sat at the back, alone among the many plants the restaurant had. Kazuya didn’t forbid her to walk in the city, he only forbid her to seek help. Beside she didn’t have time to look for any help or do anything since she would have to come back soon because her own qualifying match would happen in an hour in one of the many less important fighting rings. The main fighting ring would serve once every fighters would have qualified for the true competition, after the opening ceremony.

As Michelle was eating, barely since worries about her mother took all her appetite, an old man came to her table and said in English but with a big Chinese accent:

"Are you Michelle Chang?"

"Huh... Yes... And you are?"

"Wang Jinrei."

Last time Lee and Michelle had met, they had agreed on a meeting spot to meet or leave some note to each other, so Lee had left a small note where he told her that he would send a friend to meet her, without specifying who, but Michelle had not seen it since she didn’t go back there, not trusting Lee anymore and fearing Kazuya would know about it. So she was really not expecting anyone to show up.

Sitting on the bench in front of her, Wang then lowered his voice and said as he came closer:

"Chaolan talked to me about you. I came to help."

Wang didn’t think he was followed like Lee was since he thought Kazuya didn’t even know of his existence. Or didn’t care if he knew. He probably ignored him, underestimating him as some ordinary old man like many did even if Wang had participated in the first Tournament but he was certain Kazuya didn’t notice. Beside not many noticed him or were taking him seriously; he had entered the restaurant by taking another street and then taking the back service door in case there were spies following him or mostly following Michelle and who could be watching the restaurant from outside. While entering the back door, he acted like it was normal to do so and nobody noticed, or the one who worked there and saw him, a quite young man washing the floor, didn’t say anything. Maybe he thought Wang was a confused old man, maybe on the contrary he had respect for that venerable old man, not saying anything as the old man walked to the dinner room. Wang didn’t know what the young man thought but at least nobody working for Kazuya saw him enter the front door and meet Michelle, unless of course the spy was inside the restaurant, then he would see... but that young man probably was not a spy. Whispering as well, Michelle asked:

"Chaolan? ...And what do you want? How do you expect to help me? Why can’t Lee Chaolan come himself?"

Michelle was still suspicious but she somehow wondered what happened exactly. Was that old man another person working for Kazuya Mishima, testing her, or was Lee really trying to help her? Somehow she still hoped Lee had not betrayed her... Wang explained:

"He just cannot met you anymore, too dangerous for you, him or your mother. Kazuya knows about your last meeting. But he told me what he found about her."

"And... what is it?" nervouly asked Michelle who now put any mistrust aside, worrying about her mother’s fate too much.

"She has been... hum... sold to some criminal group named Flowers of death."

Michelle exclaimed:

"What?! But he’s...!"

Trying to calm down, she then lowered her voice again and said:

"Kazuya Mishima is supposed to free her if I confront him! That’s what he said! He insisted to fight and doesn’t even want the amulet already! But now, he just sold my mother? What does he wants exactly? To make us suffer?"

Trying to still be quiet and not get any attention over herself, Michelle was getting agitated, tears were now forming in her eyes. Flowers of death... It didn’t seem like a good name either... Her mother was in grave danger...

Thinking Michelle should have never trusted what Kazuya said but trying to calm her, Wang told her on a reassuring tone:

"Don’t worry. We have some days to free her. The complete transaction will happen next Saturday. He sold her, so he won’t kill her. He can’t if he wants to respect his deal."

"Like he would respect anything... That man is a monster! I should have killed him when I had him in front of me! His father kills my father and now the son sells my mother..."

Seeing Michelle’s trouble and sadness, Wang felt sorry to never have acted sooner against any of those two, Heihachi or Kazuya. Why has he always stayed aside from everything? Somehow his dream of Jinpachi telling him that the Mishima bloodline had to end was accurate... Jinpachi would have hated all those crimes his descendants committed or were still committing... He really had to act now to bring back the honor of the Mishima Zaibatsu and to repair what Jinpachi’s descendants were destroying, so he told Michelle once more:

"He intends to, the deal is not closed yet. We have time. Don’t worry, neither me nor Chaolan will let you down. Chaolan cannot meet with you but he’s still on your side and will still try to help as well if he can."

A little embarrassed by her desperate behavior, Michelle said while wiping a tear:

"... Thank you. But... who told Kazuya Mishima about me and Chaolan?"

"Chaolan thinks it would be spies who may have kept his apartment under surveillance since they know where he lives and they know he helped you flee Japan last time."

Michelle still didn’t know if that man or Lee were really allies or were some test Kazuya was sending her but she had to do something to help her mother, not do nothing and wait for Kazuya to give her mother back or to kill her, the monster had already sold her, so she then continued after a small pause:

"We now have to know where she is... Where does that Flowers of death group hangs out?"

Wang seemed as clueless as her as he answered:

"... I don’t know... I never heard of them... Chaolan either..."

Suddenly, a man sitting on the other side of Michelle’s bench that was separated by a wooden back, and who was also slightly hidden by all the plants in the restaurant, got up to go to them. He looked like a sumo fighter and told them on a serious tone:

"Flowers of death? Kazuya Mishima always deals with them in a hangar at the harbor in the industrial zone."

"How do you know? Who are you?" asked Michelle with surprise while she also remembered having seen that man yesterday. Was he following her and spying on her? Today, she didn’t really notice if someone was following her since she was mostly depressed and didn’t think she would meet someone. Beside she had a fight in one hour, so no time to do anything worthy of some spy reporting her. When Wang addressed her, she quickly looked around her but the many plants and high seatback hid the sumo wrestler from her.

Meanwhile, Wang, who entered after the sumo wrestler had already taken place on his bench and had not noticed him either, thought he now recognized him. It was Ganryu, an ex-sumo champion who left in shame after his dishonorable attitude, his arrogance and gambling habits, led to his downfall... A not too recommendable person... Wang also knew that this man was at the last Tournament, acting arrogantly and brutally with other contestants... Yet he didn’t seem arrogant at all right now as he was staring at the ground, barely looking at Michelle and not looking at all at Wang while he also seemed to be slightly blushing... Though both Wang and Michelle didn’t know why he was interfering now...

"... I’m Ganryu. Ozeki sumo wrestler."

Then Ganryu kneeled and took the surprised Michelle’s hand in his. The young woman quickly took it away as he was now lovingly telling her:

"Michelle Chang... I am willing to do anything for you. I would take the moon, the sun or your mother, to give to you... You deserve to have your knight in shining armor, or in traditional mawashi..."

Now feeling very uncomfortable by that weird and untimely declaration of love, Michelle asked, after she gazed in a worried way toward Wang who looked as surprised as her:

"Huh... I still don’t understand... Why are you helping me?"

She then looked suspiciously toward the now fully blushing man and added:

"Or mostly... How do you know about my problems? Or even my name?"

"Huh... Well, I just listened... And you’re a contestant in the Iron Fist Tournament, so..."

"You listened to all our conversation?"

"Huh... yes."

They had almost whispered all the time they spoke together, if he had listened to them, he really was trying to do so... Michelle thought this man was very suspicious... She asked him on a still suspicious tone:

"And how do you know about Kazuya Mishima’s deals?"

Ganryu was getting ashamed for what he was about to say.

"... Ahh... Michelle Chang... I have something... I mean... I assure you of my undying loyalty, I swear I would never betray you, but I..."

Michelle thought that this man’s undying loyalty was something she could very well do without, he seemed so weird... and apparently enamoured with her? That was embarrassing... Yet she was mostly waiting for what Ganryu seemed about to tell them.

"... I have something to say... I have to confess something to you..."

Michelle was a little annoyed by the hesitations of that sumo wrestler who continued speaking while almost stuttering. But she froze when she heard the rest.

"I’m... huh... I worked for Kazuya. I accompanied him to some meetings with Flower of death members sometimes. They always spoke about merchandise... I never knew what they were talking about in term of merchandise... But there were always big containers and the ‘merchandise’ was inside. ...Maybe the ‘merchandise’ is already inside right now... Because sometimes Kazuya mentioned the merchandise had arrived some days before... But maybe then the merchandise was drugs or something else and not people... I don’t know... I never imagined people... He never told me about anything..."

"You work for Kazuya?"

"... Yes. I work for Kazuya, well, worked. I was one of his bodyguards. I pretend to still work for him, I’m supposed to follow you but I just can’t stand what he does anymore... But I follow you so that he doesn’t appoint someone else to do it... Someone who would hurt you... Yet he will probably take me away soon if I don’t do as he ask... We have to save your mother as soon as possible."

"So... that’s how you know about my mother? And, do as he asks? Following me and reporting to him?"

"Huh... Yes."

After a moment, showing even more shame, Ganryu added:

"Well, in fact, Kazuya asked me to... hum... kill you as well. And take your amulet."

Michelle was livid. So many things that evil Kazuya Mishima could do...

"... Kill me?"

Noticing how both Michelle and Wang were now looking at him, Ganryu tried to defend himself:

"He asked that! But I don’t want to! I’m loyal to you! I love you! I wouldn’t have told you if I was to do it!"

After a moment of surprise at all that she just learned, Michelle asked him:

"So... you pretend to work for him?"

"Yes! I don’t like him! I want to help you! And your mother! We could free her today, tonight! Anytime! I’m ready!"

Michelle then realized what time they were. She had to go back to the arena for her fight... But she didn’t trust that sumo guy at all... Yet she didn’t entirely trust Wang either. Lee probably didn’t betray her and it maybe was that sumo guy who reported her to Kazuya but still she didn’t know who she should believe... Yet if any of them really were on Kazuya’s side, they wouldn’t have revealed all this to her now... Unless they wanted to send her into a trap...The only thing she was almost certain was that both Wang and Ganryu probably weren’t together on this... So maybe Wang could watch Ganryu and vice versa while she would fight... She had to go fight, if Kazuya didn’t see her now, he may already kill her mother... If he didn’t already do it...

"I have to go fight. Please, stay both together while I do. We’ll talk about all this after."

"Well, not really together, it would look suspicious but we will stay near each other", replied Wang. Ganryu nodded while looking in an uncertain way toward the old man, wondering if any of them would trust him now that he confessed everything.

Michelle then told both the men:

"Fine. It is very kind of you if you want to help me. Hum... I must go now. We’ll meet here after my match."

And she left the restaurant to go to the arena while both the men followed shortly after.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu who had returned for the Second Tournament, met Kunimitsu who was also participating. They both were pitted against one another in the qualifying rounds. Before they began, Yoshimitsu told Kunimitsu:

"Traitor! You shall regret your betrayal! Tell me what you did of the animals you were supposed to free!"

Kunimitsu replied on a slightly cheeky tone:

"I can tell you and exchange them for something worth it... Your sword. Give me your sword and I’ll give you back the animals."

"That sword is a relic, a dangerous relic! You are not worthy of wielding it!"

"Fine. Then let’s make it a prize, if you win, I swear that I shall tell you where the animals are. And if I win, you give me your precious sword..."

Not taking much time to think about it, Yoshimitsu replied:

"Deal."

Among the crowd looking at the fight between both the ninjas, Lee, who had just won his first official fight, qualifying him for the Tournament, was now with Marshall and Paul. They were all hanging together to watch the other contestants trying to qualify. While Paul was making comments about the fight, Lee gazed at Yoshimitsu with some resentment and didn’t look at Kunimitsu with much more affection either. Noticing his expression, Marshall asked him:

"What’s the matter? You don’t seem to like those guys very much..."

"That guy almost killed me..."

"When?" asked Marshall who was quite surprised by this.

Lee was slightly embarrassed about the circumstances of the fight and his injury. The Manji ninja was a thief but on that day, Lee knew Yoshimitsu was the good guy, trying to save Doctor Bosconovitch from his abductors who were Lee and his corporation... He couldn’t tell Marshall he was complicit in an abduction... He wouldn’t tell him all that the Mishima Zaibatsu was doing wrong... Same thing for Kunimitsu who also attacked him... He wouldn’t tell Michelle’s story to anybody since for that time, he didn’t look very loyal to his corporation and the Zaibatsu still looked bad... There was some loyalty he had to keep toward the corporation... His future corporation... He couldn’t speak about any of this, even to his friend...

As both the ninjas were now fighting with their blade, battling each other very seriously since it seemed very personal between them, Lee answered Marshall:

"Hum... When he and his clan tried to steal from the Mishima Zaibatsu."

"That guy is a thief?"

"Yes. The other as well. She was working for him. Apparently not anymore."

"Hum. And... if he tried to kill you, why don’t you tell the police to come and arrest him now? Or the Mishima guards?"

"Huh... It’s complicated... The Manji clan have protection, there are also the insurances to take into account and... The... Well, it was kind of an accident... and besides, he didn’t kill me. And besides, contestants have some kind of immunity on the arena grounds..."

Lee was trying to make up some explanation but realized that he was mostly rambling random things so he shut up. Marshall didn’t really understand what Lee was babbling about but decided to leave it to this. Beside he had something more important that he wanted to ask Lee. He wouldn’t bother his friend about that ninja if Lee didn’t want to talk about it...

"Hum... Chaolan... Huh... I was wondering... Hum... Can you... Can you lend me some cash? Please? I’m kind of broke right now..."

Lee looked at Marshall and seemed a little embarrassed as well. Unlike how he was in the United States where he was always throwing his money away, showing off his fortune and generosity while lending to his friends without counting or asking anything back, now he was not really able to do so.

"Huh... I am kind of, well, not exactly broke (Lee hated to say that word) but... I must spare my money for now... I can’t really help you... I’ll probably be able to help you after the Tournament, mostly if I win... I also have made some investments but all this is after the Tournament..."

"...But... I would need some money now... Forest is now going to school and he doesn’t have anything decent to wear, his clothes are all worn out, he has no decent school supplies... Not even enough for his lunches... The other kids will laugh at him just for being poor..."

Lee was touched by his friend’s pleas for his little boy, remembering how it was when he was a poor child himself with his horrible worn out clothes. He remembered when his real parents had trouble earning money for food just like Marshall seemed to have now, before it became even worse for him when they died and that he lived in the streets... Lee then told him:

"Well, I can give you two hundred dollars to help you. I’ll be able to help you more soon but now I just can’t... Not that I don’t want to... Just come at my apartment this evening and I shall give it to you."

Marshall was kind of disappointed: What Lee promised him right now wasn’t enough for everything he had to pay... Since that attack on his dojo, he also was so indebted... Yet Lee didn’t have to help him, so Marshall was still appreciating it... Besides, he was still embarrassed for the damages he caused yesterday to Lee’s apartment while fighting that Korean guy... He would send that money as soon as he could to his wife so that she would be able to prepare Forest for school and buy more food, while promising her he would get more money with the Tournament.

"Thanks, Chaolan."

But Lee was not listening anymore, he was now looking with some horror as Yoshimitsu impaled Kunimitsu with his sword, reminding him of his own fight with the ninja clan leader. If Yoshimitsu killed her, the ninja will definitively be excluded from the Tournament now...

The medics and ambulance quickly came and took away the unconscious Kunimitsu, leaving the crowd wondering if she would survive or not while Yoshimitsu was slightly frustrated: He wouldn’t be able to interrogate her about the animals... He would have to visit her at the hospital if she survived this injury... Before anyone could do anything, the ninja quickly disappeared, mysteriously leaving the arena.


	29. During the qualifying rounds

Lee, Marshall and Paul were now in the locker room. Paul would soon do his qualifying match and while he prepared, they were now joking together as other fighters were changing and preparing for their own fights as well or for some training in the dojo inside the arena.

Suddenly, Heihachi, Kuma and baby Kuma entered the place. Heihachi, having evaded countless murder attempts from Kazuya, only wanted to come when really necessary since he more or less trusted the place and the supposed ‘immunity’ Kazuya gave everyone (He probably wasn’t included...). But today since it was the qualifying matches, they had to come to the arena and went to the locker room to rest a while before their qualifying match. As they entered, Kuma, remembering his last defeat, growled at Paul who growled back at the bear while Lee gazed with resentment at his adoptive father. Heihachi then said:

"All the laugh dropped down so suddenly. Don’t mind us, keep joking, we’re only passing by..."

Looking at Lee, he then added:

"Lee, stop pouting like this, you look as if you’re about to cry..."

"Humpf. I’m not about to cry. You should be the one crying. Why have you organized that first Tournament in the first place? Don’t you regret it now? Seeing all that you lost? You’re lucky Kazuya is as crazy as you."

Lee was still resentful that Heihachi didn’t care about him when he played the Zaibatsu just to confront Kazuya. But Heihachi laughed before he told Lee on a detached tone, still smiling:

"Well, that’s one good side he has from his father... No. I don’t regret it. It was fun. I just got a two years vacation. Unpaid but whatever."

"You won’t make me believe you had fun all this time. You lost and you hated it..."

Heihachi kept smiling while he said:

"Oh, but it’ll be fun now since I’ll take back the Zaibatsu from that no-good Kazuya who’s completely ruining it and a lowlife like you won’t be able to do anything about it."

Before Lee could react, Heihachi suddenly grabbed him in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles against his son’s head, giving him a noogie like he did countless times, while saying:

"You won that first fight but beware the hard ones are coming..."

With much effort, almost falling backward, Lee succeeded in freeing himself from his father’s grasp (who in fact had let him go) and said while replacing his tousled hair and gritting his teeth in anger as he backed away:

"Humpf! Don’t take me too lightly..."

Heihachi replied while still smiling arrogantly:

"I know your strength, I’ve trained you. And I know I’ll easily beat you. Then I’ll spank you so hard, you won’t be able to sit for a year!"

Lee blushed at the all too familiar punishment being mentioned in front of his friends and said:

"Otousama... We are in front of many people, you should show some more class..."

Heihachi’s face suddenly turned more serious and angry as he said:

"Don’t you dare call me Otousama anymore, you lowborn scum... You were nothing without me, just a miserable child rummaging among garbage with your dirty clothes... I took you out of your misery, I gave you an education, a job, and you’re talking like you have lessons in society to give me? You’re now resenting me like I never did anything for you? You betrayed me after all I’ve done for you? For your treachery, once I win, I’ll chase you away and send you back to your slum where you belong! You’ll be able to teach them some class! Have fun eating your entrées from the dumpsters! We’ll see if you’ll still act classy then, you ungrateful brat! You owe me everything you now have! But still, you betray me... Ungratefulness at its worst... Don’t think I’ll go easy on you; I’ll fire you from the Zaibatsu and make you a pariah everywhere with my influence. Everybody will know of your unwanted status and no one will dare hire you in the business world! You chose Kazuya? Well, you’ll lose everything like him!"

Heihachi thought that Lee was still working for Kazuya since after their encounter Wednesday, while walking in the wood, he had noticed Lee’s car parked near the temple just after Kuma had smelled Kazuya... What were Kazuya and Lee planning together in those woods? And why did Lee came to see him first for that supposed lift? Was it a trap? Heihachi wondered if he told something to Lee that would have convinced him to quickly get Kazuya and leave but their conversation was so insignificant he couldn’t see what... The only thing that Lee didn’t know about before their last encounter was the existence of baby Kuma, which was probably not the unexpected event that made both his sons flee... Heihachi still wondered what was supposed to happen that night but he knew that those kids were only bad news... Out of control delinquents... Kazuya was a devilish monster doing even more atrocities each days and Lee was stupidly following him... But it seemed their plan failed if it was to attack him... Like that other killer yesterday...

Trying to look unaffected but failing to do so, Lee was insulted and humiliated: Not only Heihachi was scorning him and treating him again like his toy or something with those stupid noogies but now everyone around them knew he came from some slum. He never spoke from where he came to anyone. Marshall and Paul only knew he came from China, nothing more. But he didn’t want everyone to know that now... And that annoying Heihachi was still trying to humiliate him in front of everyone now... That so-called adoptive father never refrained from insulting him... Giving him humiliating punishments for any reasons...

Yes, Heihachi had taken him out of poverty but he never treated him like a son or even like a person. He always was a toy or a tool for Heihachi... It was not out of love or kindness that he took him into the family but only to annoy Kazuya. Heihachi gave him prestigious positions indeed but he never helped him for his self-esteem, criticizing him for anything he did, stressing him out with every task... And not caring to take the Mishima Zaibatsu away from him with that first stupid Tournament despite what Lee had done for the corporation... Anyway Heihachi always acted like this; those things he just said Lee should be grateful about were mostly always threatened to be taken away from him all his life... When Lee felt more secure about it, then his father would make him feel unworthy of it.

And to think Lee sometimes missed him when Kazuya was at his worst... Was he supposed to be grateful when Heihachi always made him feel bad? Now Lee was feeling bad again since he did regret somehow being ungrateful and scolded in front of everyone but he was also quite angry at his adoptive father for humiliating him now and for all that Heihachi did in the past. Maybe Heihachi was right when he told him he was about to cry, he just told him a little too soon... Now Lee really was troubled and lowered his head in shame, not knowing how to reply in front of all the competitors watching them... But Paul suddenly interposed himself:

"That’s enough, you bastard! You think you deserve more respect because you’re rich? Well, I got news for you, you old geezer! You’re just bein’ a gasbag and a complete jerk! F******d! You deserve nothing! I’ll beat ya, and your fugly bear and your son! Not that one (showing Lee) but the other. The complete a**hole scumbag. Well, I could beat that one as well (showing Lee again), I just don’t have anything against him... But you, I’ll beat your rich a** hands down ’cuz I’m number one..."

"Yeah!" agreed Marshall while crossing his arms.

The fact that Lee wasn’t born an entitled rich heir already and seemingly lived in the streets and experienced poverty for a while, made Paul feel some sympathy for his normally slightly irritating and bragging friend. Beside he knew some things about how Heihachi treated Lee, Lee never confided anything to him but did complain about Heihachi a few times to Marshall when he lived in the United States... Barely, not really wanting to tell everything but enough so that Marshall knew that Heihachi wasn’t a perfect father. And between Marshall and Paul, there were no secrets...

For a moment, Heihachi stared at Paul, surprised by the level of vulgarities said. He then addressed Lee who was blushing from the language as well:

"... As I said, don’t try to teach me some class... You have a student waiting just beside you..."

"Hey!" said Paul, insulted by this as Heihachi continued:

"And please don’t try to translate everything he said to me... It just isn’t worth it."

Heihachi then addressed Paul once more, on a not too impressed tone:

"I haven’t understood one word you said, all I know is you’re not worth any attention... And you’re not exactly number one since you’ve been beaten by my son last time..."

"And you’ve been beaten by your son as well... I’m no worse than you."

"Fine. We’ll see who’s the best in the arena. But maybe you’ll also have to go against Kuma once more. And Kuma trained a lot since last time..."

"I’m waitin’ for that confrontation... I don’t fear your Kuma! Or you! Or anyone! I’m the toughest in the universe!"

Paul turned toward Kuma, who was just standing beside his master, and said:

"Understood? I’m winnin’."

Kuma growled back in a tone like he didn’t fear him.

Heihachi then left the group to go further away in the locker room but before he did, he told Lee:

"At least, show me I trained you well in combat so that I won’t be too ashamed of having trained you..."

Lee only stood there, looking at his father with resentment... Heihachi was always making him feel like a loser...

Some moments later, in the back of the locker room, hidden from most other contestants by a locker row, Heihachi was giving the bottle to the little bear cub as papa Kuma was eating his fish. Many people feared the adult Kuma when they walked around the restaurant so the locker room was the only place Kuma was permitted to eat. Even then, Heihachi was surprised Kazuya had allowed it... or even allowed Kuma to participate... Yet this time, Kuma wasn’t entitled to control the Zaibatsu if he won.

Suddenly some other contestant came to Heihachi and his bears. He was dressed in Chinese clothing, with long hair tied behind and Heihachi recognized him: It was Lei Wulong, an Interpol agent. Probably now on a secret mission against the Mishima Zaibatsu... Lei exclaimed:

"Oh, What a cute little baby bear!"

Then bending down to the baby cub, he gently pat little Kuma’s muzzle with his finger while saying:

"Cutchi cutchi coo..."

Then noticing that Kuma II was wearing a diaper and a little t-shirt with a cute little panda on it, he exclaimed:

"Oh my Gawd! The little panda shirt! That soooo cute! The little baby bear’s all dressed-up!"

Heihachi smiled; it was his idea. He could finally dress his bear as he always wished... This bear will be used to it, unlike his father who only accepted sometimes to wear a scarf and most of the time refused. But Lei having hit a sensitive button on Heihachi (who normally didn’t have much of those except if it’s written bear on it), the older man told him:

"It’s my bear Kuma’s son, Kuma II. While in the woods, Kuma found a mate and they had that baby but the mother got killed by those stupid hunters who tried to kill us while little Kuma was just a newborn... Now we’re taking care of the little baby."

"Stupid hunters who tried to kill you?" asked Lei with some curiosity.

He slightly knew about the intestines wars for the Mishima Zaibatsu yet he wanted to know more. Those hunters probably were not normal hunters...

"Yes."

"Kill you? A human?"

"Yes, last time I checked, I was a human."

"But, were those hunters sent by someone? I know that as ex-CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, you must have many enemies... The actual CEO, your son, is probably your worst enemy... I know he employs a lot of bodyguards and killers... You know about a man named Bruce Irvin? He would work for..."

"I know what you’re trying to get to but I’ll take care of Kazuya and his little friends myself, so no need for you to get involved... I know what you are but just keep your nose out of the Mishima Zaibatsu businesses..."

Heihachi’s tone was calm but slightly more threatening than before when he was only talking about his beloved bears. Of course, Heihachi intended taking back the Mishima Zaibatsu and wished no annoying Interpol in his business... If Lei wasn’t taken care of by Kazuya, he might have to do it later... If, Lei tried to involve himself in more than just baby Kuma... Despite having ordered many assassinations when in control of the Zaibatsu, Heihachi was not a killer just for the thrill of it, like Kazuya was... He had reasons... But Heihachi knew how his son was and also knew about some of the more evil deeds that Kazuya was now into. Not only he disapproved of much of it but that stupid son will attract the attention of all the security and police forces around the world... without being even prepared for it... Since some years, Heihachi had wanted to form his own army and had real ambitious domination projects but the project was still at the starting state... Unless Kazuya took care of expanding it but from his spies’ information (Heihachi still had inside spies who remained loyal to him), Heihachi knew that Kazuya mostly concentrated on allying himself with criminal organizations for protection... and was mostly dishonoring the Mishima Zaibatsu with it...

Meanwhile, Lee was not too far and was trying to listen to his father’s conversation. It seemed Heihachi was not too talkative with that man... Except unsurprisingly about his bears. Lee thought that baby Kuma was cute indeed but somehow, it always was frustrating to see how fatherly Heihachi was to his bears and had been such a bad father to him and Kazuya... He then felt silly: Being jealous of bears... But he was... He often was...

Suddenly Lee started to cough. He turned his head toward Paul who was now hanging by the legs upside down from some plumbing pipe on the ceiling. After having combed his hair, that was previously down, into his traditional hi-top fade hairstyle with some little help from gravity, Paul was putting on his hairspray to prepare for the fight. Layer by layer of hair, he was combing it all to his usual hairdo, putting tons of spray on each layers so that it would hold.

"(Cough) (Cough) Must you put that much hairspray in your hair?" asked the silver-haired demon.

"Yup. I must", answered Paul, who did not seem bothered by the spray as Lee and Marshall were getting away from him, still coughing.

"Hey, relax on the hairspray!" shouted Heihachi from the other side of the locker row as his baby cub began coughing as well.

"Shut up. We’re here to prepare. I’m preparin’. Beside it’s not like you don’t use any hairspray yourself..."

"As a matter of fact, I don’t", answered Heihachi as he was now leaving the locker room with his baby cub in his arms, followed by the larger Kuma who was done eating and who once more growled at Paul while leaving.

"Yeah right, you look like Bozo the clown naturally..." mumbled Paul on a serious tone as he kept spraying his hair while Heihachi had now left. Still coughing from the vapors, Lee and Marshall burst out laughing, only to cough even more since the hairspray was now completely invading their lungs and the locker room.

"(Cough) (Cough) That hairspray will do something to your mind one day... You use it far too much... You know it’s kind of toxic... It’ll somehow turn you stupid or something..." said Marshall, putting his sleeve over his face.

"(Cough) (Cough) I’m going out for a smoke", said Lee as he left the room while Marshall decided to go buy some snack and eat it very slowly, waiting for any vapor spray to get out from the locker room. Every other contestant also quickly left, only the wrestler named King remained a while, preparing his things, since he had already put on his mask that somehow slightly stopped the vapor but then unable to hold on any more, he left as well, growling at Paul who kept emptying his spray can on his hair.

* * *

Moments later, in a discrete corner outside of the arena, Lee tried once more to call Jun.

"Drat, no answer again... What if Kazuya killed her and then picked up her phone? He’ll know I talked to her... It would be embarrassing if he answered the phone... Oh, whatever. He may already try to kill me... But is she dead?"

Lee had tried calling her to know how it went since Wednesday and Jun never answered. But as Lee was about to hang up his cell phone, Jun finally answered:

"Hello?"

"Miss Kazama! I thought you were dead!" exclaimed the silver-haired demon, somehow relieved.

"... I’m sorry I didn’t answer sooner. I... wasn’t in the mood to talk."

"But at least you’re alive! What happened?"

"... It didn’t work."

Jun didn’t want to tell Lee that she woke up at the hospital after Kazuya had beaten her (and apparently had taken her there since the nurse told her a man fitting his description brought her inside the hospital before he quickly left without a word of explanation) and spent all the night and next day there, in observation, her phone uncharged in her car, worrying about her unborn child before she left once she learned the baby was alright and went to lock herself in her apartment. She just felt really depressed over all the events, after having seen what Kazuya really was and mostly not being able to make him change his mind and now fearing that her child may have some of those problems... Yet she didn’t say anything about that to anyone at the hospital and she really didn’t feel either like talking to that ‘brother-in-law’ she barely knew. Jun had always been mysterious and a loner, she wasn’t the kind to express herself to everyone so she somehow didn’t want to answer when Lee called the previous times. But now, feeling that she should at least tell him she was fine, she answered the phone. Lee was worriedly asking her:

"But, what happened exactly?"

"I just failed", said Jun on a tone that showed she really didn’t want to talk about it. In fact, Jun just wanted to cry over her broken heart, her failure at saving Kazuya and her worries for her future baby. But after a moment, she added:

"But Kazuya still have good inside despite all he could do. It’s not his fault..."

Lee thought that Jun was still protecting Kazuya despite what may have happened but something bad did happen for her not to answer for so long... Then on a more concerned tone, Jun asked:

"How is he?"

It seemed she really was concerned for him, thought Lee who didn’t feel as concerned as Jun for Kazuya and answered on a slightly detached tone:

"He’s fine. Well, not wounded or dead if that’s what you mean. But you?"

"... I’m fine. Thank you. ...If you’ll excuse me, I need to hang up now... I have nothing more to say. I’m sorry. I just... I’m sorry."

And Jun hung up the phone. A little worried and frustrated by Jun’s lack of answers and still wondering what happened between her and Kazuya, why the exorcism failed, Lee lit a cigarette. Maybe Jun was only a fraud? And had no exorcising talents at all? She did calm the dog quite fast but as to have exorcism talents, that may be a completely different story... Maybe she believed she had some and discovered she didn’t?

As Lee was still thinking and now coughing from his cigarette instead of Paul’s hairspray, Lei Wulong came to him.

"Lee Chaolan, right?"

"Hum-hum."

Lee nodded as he barely looked at the Interpol agent.

"You seem to have some bad relations right now with the ancient CEO..."

"Apart from bears, no one can have a good relation with that man..."

"So you’re his adoptive son?"

"Indeed", answered Lee, blowing some smoke, trying to look distant and hoping that guy had not seen earlier how Heihachi treated him. Yet he was in the locker room and he was talking about his bad relation, so he must have seen it... That was embarrassing...

"You’re also the current CEO’ adoptive brother. You’re still working for him..."

Lee interrupted the detective:

"To be honest, I just quit."

"Really? Why? You quit for the Tournament? Kazuya Mishima forbid you to participate? You had an argument? But I won’t annoy you with anything indiscrete, I mostly would like to know: Do you know anything about Bruce Irvin? You do know a lot of things..."

Lee was somehow finding that Lei Wulong quite annoying...

Like Heihachi, he knew the guy was an Interpol agent and he didn’t want to incriminate himself or give anything against the Mishima Zaibatsu... He would win the corporation and then clean it himself. No need for police to bring dishonor upon the corporation by showing it publicly... He had swore to Wang Jinrei that he would restore the honor, not bring shame on Jinpachi Mishima’s once noble corporation. Police had nothing to do in this...

Yet both Heihachi and Kazuya deserved to go in prison... And apart from the Tournament that he wasn’t even certain he would win, he didn’t really know what to do... He needed a good plan B... Maybe he needed more allies... Maybe even the police could somehow help... Thinking about this while slightly changing his mind, he just took another smoke before he said after some times:

"I know some things indeed... But first, please, go see Michelle Chang, one of the contestants. Tell her you are an Interpol agent. Ask her about her mother, or even her father, she will tell you. If she doesn’t want to tell you, tell her I sent you."

"... Okay..." answered Lei who didn’t really know what Lee was talking about but he would certainly know by going to see that Michelle Chang...

Lee thought that this could help Michelle who didn’t have much time left while it could also incriminate both Kazuya and Heihachi, without incriminating him since he had nothing to do in those crimes... Lee couldn’t wait to see his adoptive brother and father behind bars... Of course, Interpol would go deeper into the Mishima Zaibatsu’s crimes but by then, he would have gotten control of the Zaibatsu and would be protected since his crimes were less important. He would probably just have to get some good lawyers... or bribe his way... Yet maybe Kazuya or Heihachi could also bribe and use their influence to get out of this but at least he would have tried... He then said as Lei was going away:

"But careful, she’s watched. And watch yourself. A certain CEO wants to take care of you during the Tournament."

This guy probably was the cop Kazuya and Bruce were referring to, mostly since he was looking for Bruce Irvin.

"I’m not surprised but thanks anyway. Also thanks for the name and don’t worry for me", replied Lei as he kept going away.

Lee coughed once more and after he finished his cigarette, he went back inside. After all, despite his late problems, he had to meet his lady admirers...

* * *

Meanwhile Michelle had won her match against her adversary and was going back to the women’s locker room. She was still worried about her mother but was also satisfied of how her fight went. She easily won it and after that last punch in her adversary’s face that sent him down on the mat, it somehow gave her some confidence if she had to fight those Flower of death jerks. Her leg injury wasn’t too embarrassing, for now. And the fact that she won today gave her more time before Kazuya would try to take her out, maybe. Beside if that Ganryu really was on her side and if he had that job of killing her, Kazuya may take some time to realize that his employee betrayed him... Yet Michelle still wasn’t sure of the sumo wrestler’s loyalty but now she had to go and try to see if her mother was in a hangar at the harbor in the industrial zone... She had to act fast before her next fight... If she could be out of Japan with her mother before that, it would be great... But as she was about to enter the women’s locker room, a man came to her and asked:

"Michelle Chang, may I speak to you?"

Michelle was surprised by the sudden man’s appearance. Was he a journalist or something? He would make her lose her time in futile questions... The Native American woman didn’t really crave that attention that so many fighters were here for...

"Hum... I don’t have much time... I must go to the locker room..."

The man discreetly showed his Interpol badge.

"Lei Wulong, Interpol police. I must speak to you, please enter the locker room."

"Huh..."

Michelle hesitated: That man would follow her to the women’s locker room?

As if guessing her thoughts, the man replied:

"I checked the fighting board and no woman fights for the next three hours, so I don’t expect any women to come here right now. Just go first to make sure and tell me then."

He then added:

"I must speak to you without any witnesses. It probably is the best place to do so. Please do it quickly, I don’t want to be seen around here."

Still wondering what this man wanted exactly, Michelle accepted to see him in the locker room. A police agent... Had they found her mother’s corpse or something? She was really worried...

Looking first to see if there was anyone, Michelle realized that it seemed the police agent was right, there was no one in the locker room... Once inside the place, Lei and Michelle sat on a bench and Lei told Michelle:

"I’m truly here for another case but Lee Chaolan asked me to ask you about your parents. Your mother, or even your father, he said. So... what is it about them?"

Michelle was surprised: Was Lee sending all of Tokyo to her? That old man, then the police... But that guy seemed like a real Interpol agent... She could probably trust him... So maybe even Lee and Wang... Yet still worried over her mother’s safety (if she was still alive) she asked Lei:

"So... no one saw you coming here?"

Lei reassuringly replied on a slightly carefree yet also serious tone.

"Nah, I’m good at avoiding surveillance, don’t worry, but we must talk quickly."

Michelle had already looked around the place to see if there were any cameras or something and had found nothing so she guessed the woman’s locker room must be safe for them to really talk. Yet still paranoid, she began to tell him about her story while whispering...


	30. On the way to victory

That evening, the opening ceremony began.

A giant crowd was gathering there to hear the opening speech, see the fireworks and the promised famous and glamorous show with many renowned idols. Lee was being among the audience, with other competitors who had qualified, looking at Kazuya giving a speech then greeting officials and important people while the fireworks would soon illuminate the sky before the would begin.

Gazing at his adoptive brother from afar, Lee thought that for the somehow shy kid he was, Kazuya really got over his shyness problem... Politely meeting the government and city officials, addressing the crowd... Kazuya even now had that little smug air... He didn’t look shy at all...

Not like when they had just begun to work at the Mishima Zaibatsu... In fact, Kazuya had begun working some months before, since Lee had to finish his school before he could join his big brother. But Lee having excellent grades and being the top of the class, Heihachi made him graduate earlier than any other students to make him work at the Zaibatsu as soon as possible. He still needed Lee to be some sort of rival to Kazuya even there... and Kazuya had indeed been jealous of this ‘promotion’... At work, Lee had always noticed that, if it didn’t involve fighting, his adoptive brother was still shy with other people, never talking much, never taking any initiatives... Kazuya was even always discreetly playing with his fingers under the table when they were at important reunions with some of their father’s most important business associates or mostly, crossing his arms while sitting or when meeting people while standing... Despite the tough air Kazuya gave himself, Lee, who knew him, could always detect that shyness that mostly began going away when Kazuya was controlling the Mishima Zaibatsu. When Lee forced him to meet people.

If he was still getting along with Kazuya, Lee could have felt proud of him tonight, of his brother’s progress but now Lee felt some jealousy over his brother’s success... A success that Kazuya never wanted to share with him... To the point of chasing him out of the house and in a way, chasing him as well from the Zaibatsu... Somehow Lee wondered again why it turned so badly between them... But still, they never were really close to begin with... And he mostly regretted again that they never got along. Kazuya did everything to chase him away and keep all to himself... to have all the honors... And moreover, he did all those crimes, acting as cruelly as he pleased...

Yet tonight, Lee didn’t only feel jealousy or some small regrets for his once more failed relationship with his adoptive brother but he also felt determination. Determination for himself and to attain his goals. Determination to stop Kazuya. Determination for winning. Because this time, he would win the Tournament and next time, it would be him standing with the officials...

In fact, probably not since once he would win the Mishima Zaibatsu, he wouldn’t organize such a Tournament, so he would not invite the officials... He wasn’t crazy... Yet he had to confess, he really appreciated the event... Last time, at the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, despite his frustrations, Lee did find the whole event quite impressive and this time, it didn’t seem to have lost any of its splendor and glamour. In fact, it probably was even better... More exciting... Maybe because the crowd was even bigger now that the event was known even more... or maybe because he now didn’t have anything to lose and everything to win... Thinking about it even more, maybe he would organize such a Tournament as well when he would get in control of the Mishima Zaibatsu... Only, he wouldn’t play it like an imbecile... Only offer some money prize or something... The Mishima Zaibatsu would remain his... Forever.

Looking among the crowd and the contestants during the official speech, Lee noticed that his father wasn’t there. Kuma either... They must still fear some assassination attempt... probably with reason... Or maybe both the Kumas just weren’t allowed at the party, which made a lot of sense, and Heihachi wouldn’t leave them... Maybe he just left like Marshall and Paul who would come back later since the one hour long speech with all the officials and ceremonial salutations was too boring for them... Yet it was not really Heihachi’s style to avoid boring ceremonial... Maybe he was just too humiliated showing up at that event with so many officials he knew after his spectacular defeat two years ago... Well, whatever it was, that was a good thing, it only made the evening more enjoyable...

* * *

Yet the next day, Heihachi was there since Kuma was scheduled to fight Paul. Ignoring his father, Lee went to sit with Marshall while Heihachi sat with baby Kuma on his lap. Neither Heihachi nor Lee addressed or even gazed at each other, they both looked at their favorite fighter. They had no time to argue.

But as last time, after a ferocious fight, Paul stood victorious over the now unconscious Kuma.

"YEAH! NUMBER ONE! NUMBER ONE!" yelled Paul while jumping in joy.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Lee, giving Paul a thumbs up since he was happy once more that the terrifying Kuma was once more out of the picture while Marshall clapped his hands in joy while laughing.

Troubled by this sad early defeat for his beloved bear and annoyed by Paul’s noisy victory, Heihachi tried to hide to baby Kuma the sight of his father being beaten but the young cub kept trying to look toward his father and growled when he noticed the man who had beaten his beloved father. It was the first time Heihachi heard his little cub growling. He told him as he gently petted the cub’s head:

"I’ll train you, Kuma, you’ll beat that man who hurt your father... You’ll see... You will..."

But the trio didn’t stay very long: As soon as the veterinarian came to take Kuma and give him cares, they all left. Yet Heihachi was very upset: He knew papa Kuma had never left his lazy habits of sleeping far too often instead of training but mostly, his beloved bear was getting old...

* * *

Two days later, Lee was training in the arena dojo and saw Wang entering the place.

"Laoshi! It has been a while! I wondered where you were!"

"As you asked me: I was helping the young woman", answered the old man in Chinese so that if anyone listening would have less chance of understanding what they were saying. Lee then replied in Chinese as well while going outside the dojo with Wang so that they would talk in a more discreet area:

"And what about it?"

"It’s done."

"What?"

"Her mother is free, they both are fine."

"Already?"

"Yes. It took only a quick raid to free Tàitai (madam) Chang."

"Ah. But I thought... I thought you would have kept me informed on the situation... before the big rescue..."

"We didn’t have time, we had to do everything quite fast. As you said so yourself. Once Michelle came back with the Interpol police you sent to her, we started the plan. We slightly thought about rescuing her during the transaction in some days but if the plan and Michelle’s intentions were discovered before, her mother could be in great danger, we had to act fast. Ganryu had told us where the Flowers of death did their transactions with the Zaibatsu and that she may already be there but she wasn’t."

"Ganryu? The sumo wrestler?"

"Yes. He was working for Kazuya, so you know him. But he decided to help Michelle."

Lee was slightly surprised that Ganryu seemed to have helped and yet wasn’t surprised at the same time. Ganryu really seemed in love with Michelle, so apparently, he decided to help her... It made sense. Wang continued explaining:

"Now he fled the country because he fears Kazuya’s retaliation. He knows what Kazuya is capable of... So many cruelties..."

Then, thinking out loud, Wang muttered with some regrets:

"Kazuya was such a nice little boy... Jinpachi would be so troubled and saddened by all that he is doing now... How can his beloved grandson do such horrible things... ?"

Wang stayed a moment, thinking about his old friend and the Mishima curse before he continued:

"But aside from this, we mostly had to know where Tàitai Chang was. Wulong learned that the only plane going to Japan that left Arizona the day Tàitai Chang had been abducted, had landed in some small private airport belonging to the Mishima empire and from that airport, some big packages were often send in the harbor of the industrial zone where the Mishima Zaibatsu did their transactions with the Flowers of death so Tàitai Chang was probably still there if she wasn’t in the harbor’s hangar. Knowing some people from the Zaibatsu knew him as Kazuya’s bodyguard, Ganryu first went there undercover to confirm that she was there and once he told us she was, he remained near her to protect her, acting as her bodyguard while we came. Then it was easy, we only had to make our way to her by beating down everybody and Wulong arrested them all. It was fun... I haven’t had that much fun since years! We were a real sentai team!"

Lee was slightly surprised of the old man’s excitement over this. He thought Wang was mostly a wise and calm old man... but now he was acting like a twenty year old guy, his eyes flashing with excitement over the last events...

"So, everything is over? Did anyone saw you? I mean any Mishima employees who escaped? They were not all arrested? And the security cameras? Does Kazuya know?"

"I don’t think anyone but the Mishima employees who were there saw us and they are all in prison now, thanks to Wulong calling some friends to help him pick them up after we had our fun. The cameras were neutralized as well. Yet Kazuya will probably call some lawyers to take his employees out of jail and learn what happened but since he is busy with the Tournament right now, it may have to wait and you’ll have time to win and take the Zaibatsu from him. Wulong then went to drive Michelle, Tàitai Chang and Ganryu to the airport to go to the United States."

"So Ganryu left with Michelle and her mother?" asked Lee who was still slightly suspicious of the sumo wrestler despite also believing he could have helped.

"Not really. He is going to Hawaii where he said he wants to start a restaurant while Michelle and Tàitai Chang are going back to Arizona. So they won’t take the same plane."

Still slightly apprehensive, Lee now thought that Kazuya could still be very dangerous...

"So Michelle is going back to her house with her mother? Where Kazuya could attack them?"

"Yes. Michelle refuses to hide in fear. They even all three refused the witness protection program Wulong offered them. Michelle told me that she believed in your fighting abilities and said she won’t have long to worry about Kazuya since she now knows that you could get control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. She didn’t know you were in the Mishima family before."

"So she knows now?"

"Yes. I know you told me not to tell her but Ganryu told her. He didn’t know you didn’t want to tell."

"And... what did she say when she learned about this? Did she think I was a liar?"

"She first was surprised but she then said: So that’s why he never leaves them... I always thought he was too good for them and wondered why he was staying..."

"She really said that? Too good?" asked Lee while grinning.

"Yes. And she thanks you for the help you provided to her and her mother. Tàitai Chang thanks you as well and wishes you good luck in your fights. She said you were a fine young man and she hopes the spirits will be with you on your fights to grant you total victory."

"Oh, excellent! That’s very kind of them!"

Lee then took a worried expression.

"But you, laoshi... If anyone from that airport saw you and reports to Kazuya, he will know... He may already send his lawyers interrogate his employees and they will tell..."

Wang made a gesture like he didn’t care.

"Oh, I don’t fear them or Kazuya and I don’t fear death. I’ll fight them all back."

* * *

For the next three weeks, Lee kept fighting in the Tournament as his friends did as well. Since Wang came back from freeing Michelle’s mother, they trained together so that they could take both Kazuya and Heihachi out. Michelle’s story was now behind them and it had been a big problem since a while... Lee was really glad it was over since now it seemed that the Tournament was now the only thing he had to worry about (and protecting Wang if Kazuya knew about it, despite Wang not worrying a bit over this). Kazuya indeed didn’t seem to care about anything else but the Tournament either since he had not done anything about Michelle’s case. Confronting Heihachi was probably occupying all his thoughts... Yet Lee didn’t know what his brother may be thinking... They didn’t speak to each other at all...

Trying not to think about this anymore, Lee went to see Marshall’s fight, the last fight of the sixteen fighters round. Next round, there would be only eight fighters remaining: Lee, Paul, Wang, Heihachi, King, Armor King and that new Russian robot Jack-2. Marshall or Baek would win to complete the eight fighters for the new round. So Lee wanted to encourage Marshall against the guy who destroyed his dojo, that Baek Doo San that Lee had invited at his party since he seemed like a nice guy... Before the fight started, Baek told Marshall:

"Luckily, we’re against one another. We can fight without causing any problems."

Marshall angrily replied:

"You can talk about not causing any problems! You destroyed my dojo! You hurt my students!"

Baek knew what he did and still regretted it, yet now they had to fight one against another, it was no time to apologize. They had to be ready to hit each other and fight with all their might... So he only said on an insensitive tone:

"Let’s fight."

"Yeah. Let’s."

In the end, after a much dynamic fight, Marshall stood victorious over Baek. Before Baek could get up and apologize for his actions like he intended to do after the fight, the referee came to Marshall and presented him as the winner, then the crowd cheered, Paul quickly went to see his friend while yelling in joy and as the two friends were now doing some high five, Baek thought that maybe it wasn’t time anymore to say that he was sorry... Anyway they may ask him why he did it and... that horrible reason... that he killed his father... Now confronted with his memories, Baek thought that he better leave, he really wasn’t in the mood to speak anymore. So he discreetly left as soon as he could, leaving people cheering over the winner.

As Lee and Paul were congratulating their friend, Marshall seemed thoughtful.

"What the matter?" asked Paul.

"He didn’t fight with his full strength... I think he really had some remorse... Yet he did injure my students... No one touches those I like... My family, my students who are somehow my family as well and you, guys..."

"Thanks, man... Hey, let’s go for some pizza!" said Paul who was still very hungry despite the fact that it now was late, it was ten o’clock. But they had to celebrate the fact Marshall just won and that they all climbed to the next level...

"Okay, I hope that guy had his lesson, but I think he did..." agreed Marshall while Lee accepted as well even if pizza wasn’t exactly his favorite meal... He preferred more refined cuisine...

So all three walked to the nearest pizzeria to celebrate before Marshall and Paul went back to their hotel rooms and Lee was driving back to his apartment. He was tired, it was now two in the morning, he only wished to go to sleep now... The highway’s lights regularly passing over his car were quite monotone and making him feel even more sleepy... Mostly since there were no other cars around...

But suddenly as Lee was driving, a car came from behind and violently hit his car, making him almost crash into the concrete wall of the road and completely woke him up. As Lee was trying to regain control of his car, sparks flying as the side of his beloved Honda S2000 was getting scrapped by the concrete wall, the other vehicle quickly sped away and disappeared in the distance on the now empty highway.

Lee regained control and put on the brakes. What just happened? Someone just tried to kill him? He didn’t even have time to notice the license plate or even the car... Maybe it was grey, Lee was not certain...

A little shaken, he remained in his parked car for some minutes before he decided to slowly go back home. He didn’t want to have another accident and no need to tell the police, Lee was almost certain that Kazuya was the one responsible for that murder attempt. Police would do nothing against him... Once in the underground parking of his apartment complex, Lee first gazed around him to see if anyone was there, then seeing no one, he inspected his car. His beautiful Honda S2000 was scrapped all along the passenger side that suffered the concrete wall and had even lost its mirror while the driver’s side was scrapped as well with the crash from the other car. Kazuya will pay for this...

* * *

The next day, Lee was still very angry from that almost deadly accident and went to confront Kazuya in his VIP box. The door was not locked, so Lee slammed it open with a kick and asked:

"Kazuya! Did you try to kill me?"

Kazuya turned around in surprise and taking back his composure, asked, showing his usual lopsided grin again:

"When?"

Lee replied in fury:

"Last night, you sent that assassin driver to crash in my beautiful car to make me lose control and crash on the highway wall!"

"Why would I want to do that?" asked his adoptive brother with an almost amused expression as Lee was looking quite angry.

Lee didn’t believe Kazuya to be innocent at all. It was just like when they were kids and Kazuya had just destroyed his things before he would deny it all, despite showing clearly in his face that he did it and even enjoyed it. That was when he didn’t tell him straight in his face that he did it. Lee told him on a defiant and resentful tone:

"Because you fear confronting me!"

Kazuya began to laugh.

"Hahaha! I don’t fear you at all. But, maybe I was just bored?"

Despite already accusing his brother, Lee was still surprised by the casual way Kazuya was speaking.

"What?! You tried to kill me because you were bored?! You have no conscience!"

And Lee went toward Kazuya to punch him. But his brother parried the strike and told him as he quickly also parried Lee’s kick:

"Who said I wanted to kill you? You’re not dead, right?"

Kazuya continued parrying all the frenzied attacks Lee now directed at him as he kept on speaking:

"If I really had wished for your death, you’d be dead right now. I may have found it funny but I have nothing to do in this. Ouch!"

Kazuya received a punch in the face and slammed on the bulletproof window. He quickly grabbed Lee’s arm while still trying to parry his angry brother’s attacks and gave him an elbow strike while trying to explain:

"Probably a drunk driver or something. Unless you have other enemies, I don’t know all your life!"

Still holding his brother’s arm, Kazuya gave a knee kick in Lee’s stomach, making his brother grunt in pain as he continued speaking:

"With your depraved life, maybe a jealous ex-lover? Or jealous boyfriend of one of your lovers? What do I know? Are you sure you were not the one driving clumsily?"

Lee kept trying to hit him without listening. Kazuya lost patience and shouted:

"STOP IT! Beside, keep your strength, didn’t you see with whom you were pitted this time?"

Lee stopped hitting and stared at Kazuya, trying to see if his brother was telling the truth in the fact that he had nothing to do in it. He seemed so... Lee then put this incident aside and wondered with who his fight would be between the remaining contestants. He went to look at the fighting board that Kazuya was showing him on the wall and realized with horror that it was with his father Heihachi...

"Oh, drat..."

Lee was quite troubled by this... Yet if he could beat him, he would be able to get his revenge on his father and show him he was worth something... If he could beat him... That was the problem. Heihachi scared him almost to death... But Wang had trained him and Lee knew he had improved a lot under the guidance of the old man, so he would probably have some chances... Maybe... Besides, he had to confront Heihachi one day or another. Might as well be now...

Then thinking about his accident last night, Lee thought it probably really was some drunken person who drove into his car, he couldn’t see anyone else... or maybe even him, falling asleep... It certainly wasn’t his father, Heihachi didn’t fear him to try to kill him like this and apparently Kazuya either. They both somehow ignored him in their personal war... It was slightly insulting... But Lee didn’t see any other enemy he could have that would want to get rid of him that much... So, it probably was an accident... and now that accident scared him far less than that board showing that he had to confront his father...

Crossing his arms, Kazuya continued:

"See? I have no reasons to try to kill you now. Oyaji will take care of it... Unless, you take care of him instead... It’s between you both. I told you that you won’t get any protection from me. I bet you know on which one of you I will be rooting for?"

"... Honestly, I now have no idea... I guess Otousama since you want to kill him yourself?"

"Indeed. I would prefer to kill Oyaji myself in the ring since I don’t trust you to be strong or ruthless enough to send him to the hospital or mostly to kill him. I know you’re angry at him but you’re weak as you’ve always been and always will remain."

"I’m not weak."

"Would you kill him if you could? If he was helpless before you?"

"..."

Lee had often dreamed in some fantasies that he got some revenge over his father, by beating him, by humiliating him or sometimes even killing him when he was really resentful... But those were fantasies... Real life was not the same... In fact, he knew he probably wouldn’t be able to, even if he would have really wished to... what he did not exactly wish to do... Maybe out of anger during the fight because Heihachi knew how to infuriate him but if it was not an accident or under some intense anger of the moment, he then wouldn’t do it later, not if Heihachi didn’t attack him... Somehow, to make him pay was fine but as to kill, really kill his adoptive father... in cold blood... Kazuya then added:

"You know he will always come back until he really dies... I should have done it last time instead of throwing him in the same cliff he threw me... I really should have... I just wanted him to suffer what he made me suffer... But I should have plainly killed him... He wouldn’t be here today..."

Kazuya seemed really regretful as he almost was speaking to himself. He then addressed his adoptive brother once more:

"If, by some miracle, you would win the Tournament, you know he will come back for the Zaibatsu and will never let go... Would you let him roam around the Zaibatsu, around your mansion, with his stupid bears, never leaving you one moment of peace? Always ready to strike back and take the Zaibatsu away from you?"

"Indeed. The old man is persistent... and scary..."

"And crazy. And hateful. You have to kill him."

"... During the fight?"

"Yes, it’s the best way. Accidents happen when the fights are rough."

Lee seemed to think about it before he said:

"But you know I won’t let go either if I lose the Tournament. I want to have the Zaibatsu and you’ll try to kill me as well... You’re certain you didn’t try to kill me last night?"

"Certain."

"Not now, because you want me to kill Otousama but after that fight..."

"I don’t know. You’re not as hated as he is. If you leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone. And if you lose against me in the Tournament but have previously killed Oyaji in your fight, I’m ready to take you back in the Zaibatsu with some high promotion. You’ll be my second-in-command, the vice-president of the Mishima Zaibatsu."

Lee didn't seem impressed and replied:

"Honestly, with what you have done of the Zaibatsu, all the crimes and atrocities you did, I don’t think I want to go back under your leadership. If I win, there are a lot of things you’ll have to answer to... To some questions and to justice..."

"Since when you care about justice?"

"Since it is too much mistreated. I’m getting sick of all your doings."

"Fine. Then you’ll take the upper bed of the cell, I don’t want it. I’ll take the lower one. You’re not exactly white as snow either. You have your share of criminal offenses done yourself..."

"If I get to have the Zaibatsu, I don’t get to fear any justice."

"IF you get to have the Zaibatsu. Which you will never have."

"I don’t think so. I’ll win control of the Mishima Zaibatsu this time. It’s my turn."

"Humpf! What turn? You’re not even a Mishima. You have no rights to it. I may have allowed you to compete but because I knew you wouldn’t succeed."

Lee turned around and said:

"We’ll see about that."

And he left while closing the door.


	31. Lee vs Heihachi

Sometimes later, Lee was complaining to Wang while doing pushups.

"And he told me I wasn’t a Mishima! He’s so irritating with that!"

"You may not be a real Mishima but you’re the one who embodies Jinpachi’s ideals more than them. Heihachi adopted you, Kazuya told you that you would get the Zaibatsu if you won, you have all legitimacy to take over the Zaibatsu. Jinpachi would have chosen you, even despite the fact he loved Kazuya very much. Kazuya is now too evil and hurts people around him. Jinpachi would still love him but not give him any power over the Zaibatsu. So for Jinpachi, for the good of the people around, you have to take the Zaibatsu. Don’t mind what either Kazuya or Heihachi say about it. They will try to bring you down, but they won’t succeed."

"I’m not certain of that since the next I have to fight is my father..."

"You train since a while and I’ll keep training you. Don’t see your father like an invincible wall. He can be vanquished. Your brother did it, you can as well."

"Yes, but Kazuya is special..."

"Stop saying such things. Train, if you’re not good enough, train more. Don’t slow down on your training."

"And my car is totally a mess..."

"That, I cannot do anything for... Win the Tournament and you’ll be able repair it or to buy a new one. Beside you have another one. I don’t see the use of one single person having two cars..."

"One has a roof and one is convertible. One has four places and one has two. It can be useful."

"Yes, so useful..." sighed Wang who thought that Lee was slightly too superficial...

"And right now, I see the use of having two cars since as you said, I can use the other one until the scrapped one is repaired", said Lee as he finished his pushups and quickly went to do another exercise.

Now that he knew Heihachi was his next opponent, Lee was training with Wang quite intensively, even more than he already did before. Wang knew Heihachi’s fighting style, he had sometimes trained with him when Heihachi was younger and was learning from his father Jinpachi and he had also sometimes trained with him when Heihachi was older. Wang knew some of Heihachi weaknesses that he tried to teach Lee to take advantage of... But to be honest, Heihachi didn’t have much weakness... He was a frightening and powerful fighter, Wang knew Lee would have to use all his resourcefulness and even then, he still feared for his young student but wouldn’t tell him to not dishearten him...

Because what Wang thought was Lee’s greatest weakness against Heihachi was the emotional factor. Lee had of course trained with his father and knew much of his moves but he also feared his father, was actually angry and resentful at him, felt nervous and insecure near him while also wishing for his approbation. Despite what Lee was saying, that he did not care about his father’s approval, Wang guessed Lee still valued his father’s opinion of him. Wang didn’t really know what Lee really was feeling or thinking toward his father but all those mixed emotions toward Heihachi were a weakness and would not help him win the fight. So Wang was trying to prepare Lee psychologically and emotionally, as well as physically. He had to not let Lee’s lack of self-confidence win over him and Heihachi was somehow the embodiment of all those insecurities. But Lee was also determined to win: When he wasn’t with the old man, he was with his two friends Marshall and Paul, still training.

They also trained all four together since Marshall had learned that he would confront Wang in his own fight that would happen two days before Lee’s fight, so he asked Lee if he could train against Wang, so that both could see what they were against in the fight. While Wang and Marshall were against one another, Lee confronted Paul. Yet the blond American was still impossible to beat and Lee felt frustrated. Sitting down on the mat after losing, he told Paul:

"I wish you had confronted my father first... Then you may have beaten him..."

"Hey, I’m the toughest in the universe, so yeah, I would have beaten him but no one said you couldn’t... Keep training and you will..."

"Yes, training... You’re right."

Lee somehow would have hoped for Paul to confront Heihachi first and to beat him... Lee thought then he would confront Paul and, of course he didn’t have much hope of beating him, but maybe Paul could accept to ‘lose’ in exchange of a large sum of money... Lee knew Paul wasn’t the most honest person in the world and mostly with Marshall’s influence, since Marshall was mostly the brain of most of their ideas, Paul had tried many scams to get some money... Yet to lose in a fight was something he never did and Lee somehow didn’t have much hope that he would now... To be the toughest in the universe was Paul’s ultimate life goal, so money was nothing beside this... Even Marshall who was more interested by money than his friend, probably wouldn’t be able to convince Paul to lose. But still, Lee would have loved if Paul had confronted Heihachi... Maybe the winner would have been weakened by the other for the next fight...

But pushing aside those thoughts and everything else, determined to win, Lee kept training to be able to vanquish his father. He almost only stopped to sleep, eat and go see his friends fight their own match. Paul had succeeded to go to the next round by beating his own adversary, the luchador King and it was then Marshall and Wang’s turn to compete.

When Wang confronted Marshall they both gave their all and it ended in a draw between both of them, so both were eliminated. Marshall protested, saying they should be both winners instead but the rules could not be changed and both Wang and Marshall were removed from the competition. So for this round, only the fight between the Jack-2 and Armor King tomorrow and Lee, who would confront Heihachi in two days, remained.

* * *

Then it was the day of the fight between the Jack-2 and Armor King. Before the fight would begin, Lee noticed, with some interest, that the robot really seemed worried about some little girl, like if it cared for her... The little girl was always hanging around it and the robot somehow seemed very protective of her... Those Jacks really were far more advanced than most people thought... Lee remembered with some nostalgia how Prototype did seem to have some feelings as well... Sadly, he didn’t see it in the Tournament since Prototype had lost in the first few fights... Strangely, that Jack also had no Russian technicians with it like the first Jack had during the last Tournament, only that little girl... Lee did wonder where they were or if the Jack-2 was even Russian... Kazuya probably knew since he knew all the contestants but Lee didn’t feel like asking him... Maybe Kazuya didn’t even know... As long as someone could fight, is was all that mattered to the actual CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu...

The fight began and after much time and much brutality, Armor King finally landed a devastating blow that knocked the robotic warrior down. The little girl seemed very worried as she yelled something to the robot and began climbing on the ring but before Lee could see what she would do and who would take care of the robot, the luchador, who was declared the winner, seemed not feeling well: Holding his chest in pain, he suddenly fell down on the ring. Then the referee and many people around began to panic and climb on the ring as well. The referee quickly asked everyone to leave the ring so that the medics could come and do their work. Having known Armor King a bit, Lee did worry about him and wondered how bad the wrestler’s state was... Worrying about Armor King until the medics came and took the luchador away, Lee then realized that both the Jack-2 and the little girl were now missing. It seemed the robot had either found the energy to rise again and leave or someone must have helped the little girl take the robot away...

Lee didn’t know that in fact, that Jack had developed some kind of even more advanced conscience and while a Russian raid of Jack-2 on some place destroyed an entire area, that particular Jack-2 found the little girl, Jane, hiding among the rubbles of her house. Developing some kind of protective feelings for her, the robot decided to participate to that Tournament to win money for her and give her a good life. Jane had also gained some robotic knowledge from her robot friend, so she was able to quickly boost it back and flee with it during the Armor King incident’s confusion. Because contrarily to what Lee believed, Kazuya did care about the robot and also finding it quite advanced, more than the other Jacks, he wanted to get it for himself once the robot would have proved its worth in combat. But since the robot disappeared, Kazuya ordered his lead scientist, Doctor Abel, to get it or destroy it. If he couldn’t have it, no one could...

Lee later learned that Armor King’s condition was stable but he had suffered a heart attack and would have to leave the competition, which in a way was good for the competition since both Wang and Marshall being eliminated, the number of contestants for the next round would fall to three and they would have to find some temporary opponent to fight one match, unless both Heihachi and Lee would lose... But now, with Armor King’s forced removal, if only one won between Heihachi and Lee, that winner would be against Paul in the next round and then the winner would confront Kazuya for the King of Iron Fist title and the large prize coming with it.

* * *

Then the big day came; Lee would fight Heihachi today...

His friends were all there to encourage him, Wang, Marshall, Paul and many others. Lee looked more assured than he was some days ago and reassured his friends about his future victory. He was really pepped-up and gave a thumbs up to his friends before he went toward the ring with confidence. Most of his friends however thought that this was mostly an act, they were certain Lee was feeling completely insecure inside. Yet maybe not, Lee had indeed trained intensively since he quit his job at the Mishima Zaibatsu, he was in great shape...

Heihachi also entered the stage and both walked to the center of the ring, Lee smiling and winking at his horde of fangirls screaming for him while Heihachi didn’t have his beloved bears to growl for him since they couldn’t enter the arena unless they were accompanied by their master and Heihachi couldn’t really keep an eye on them now but he had his own human fans, many fans... All people who knew his fighting skills and who were not cheering his beauty and charm like most of Lee’s fans... Yet, Lee knew he also had more than beauty and charm to beat his father; he had his own fighting skills. He may look superficial, he may look like a pretty boy but he would show his father what he was worth and how dangerous he could really be...

Now standing face to face, Lee smiled, then politely bowed to his father, still showing his good manners and somehow showing his father that he did not fear him, that he did not feel nervous, but when he lifted his head, he noticed without much surprise that his father didn’t seemed impressed at all and was mostly having a cheeky and confident smile, staring down at his adoptive son with a slightly scornful gaze. Heihachi told him:

"Still the polite son... The hypocrite one... That overthrow somehow was a good thing, it allowed me to see your true colors... both of you. But I’ll show you who’s boss tonight. You kids will feel sorry for not respecting your father and you’ll regret to have followed Kazuya."

"You think I blindly follow Kazuya but I’m not with him anymore. I quit. I fight for myself."

"You got tired of following him like a little dog? I was surprised you did after the fact he had bullied you all throughout your childhood..."

"He was not the only one to hurt me when I was a child... You did as well..."

"What? You consider me spanking you like mistreatment? I was disciplining you, you spoiled little brat..."

"Not only that, you said horrible things to me and you never really cared about me."

"Ohh... You’re so sensitive... Like I said the other day, you already got a lot from me, I wasn’t forced to take you in... Stop playing the victim now..."

"Yes. I will stop. I don’t really want to talk about any of this anyway. Tonight, you’ll be the victim."

Heihachi burst out laughing.

"Lee, you’re always so funny! Are you trying to scare me?"

Lee didn’t answer, he was trying to concentrate on the fight, the physical fight. Those verbal joust were only there to dishearten him and make him lose his concentration. So he ignored his father’s cocky grin and went into his corner before the fight would start. He already spoke too much...

Then both waiting for the signal to fight, Lee gazed toward the VIP box. This time, only Kazuya was in it and Lee thought that Kazuya looked terribly alone... He had apparently sent everyone away... His friend Bruce fled the police, Anna was somewhere, chasing her sister... Lee felt a little sad thinking about the brunette, he missed her a lot... Why wasn’t she coming back? It has been a long time... Yet with all that happened since she was gone, what would she do? Which side would she pick? Probably Kazuya... Despite Lee liking her very much and vice versa, she and Kazuya were far closer, they spent much more time together... But it was not the time to think about this; he had his father in front of him, he had to keep all his concentration on this fight to win... He had to ignore Kazuya looking at them and even ignore that Heihachi was his opponent.

When the signal was given, Heihachi was surprised that Lee didn’t jump on him as he expected his son to do. Lee was often thoughtless when fighting Heihachi since he often got flustered by his father’s provocations and was losing his concentration. But now Lee was slowly moving toward him yet wasn’t attacking. Despite being careful, the younger man was looking confident, even inviting his father to come to him with his hand, so Heihachi decided to do the first move. He quickly came toward Lee with a straight punch but his son quickly back flipped away, avoiding the powerful attack. When Heihachi moved once more toward Lee, the silver-haired demon quickly tried to kick him before he backed away once more when Heihachi parried the attack.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kazuya was enjoying seeing his brother fight his father. Either way, it would be fun seeing one of them lose... Then the winner, probably Heihachi, would be beaten by him... Unless that guy, Paul Phoenix could beat the winner... Which could happen... Despite feeling no emotions toward the American guy, whom he mostly found stupid, Kazuya knew he could be a very dangerous adversary, even Heihachi could have troubles against him... But Paul was some kind of stranger in those family matters and Kazuya had no interest in him...

While gazing at the fight, Kazuya did wonder how angry was Heihachi toward Lee. Would he kill him? Heihachi was really furious at that betrayal both his sons did... Yet Lee wasn’t the instigator of that overthrow, so he may not be as severely punished as Kazuya would be if Heihachi caught him, which meant killed because Kazuya knew very well what awaited him if his father won against him...

Yet Lee did somehow betray more seriously than Kazuya, considering that Heihachi knew of Kazuya’s intentions since years while Lee just went from being Heihachi’s little dog to being Kazuya’s little dog without any warning... Kazuya remembered how he was surprised when Lee came in a friendly way after the first Tournament... Yet Lee had first come in a somehow friendly way in the locker room before... It was sometimes hard to know who Lee would root for... He followed Heihachi so often and obeyed him so docilely for years... Often doing nothing to help Kazuya when Heihachi was beating him but then sometimes trying to console him once their father was gone... Kazuya always scorned that attitude and often thought Lee was being an hypocrite... But maybe Lee just needed something radical to push him to stop being submissive since now he was even acting against Heihachi... Once he was pushed, it seemed he didn’t stop...

* * *

Meanwhile as the fight kept going, Heihachi was impressed: Lee was a far better fighter than he would have expected... The young man was faster than him and seemed to keep his concentration, waiting for Heihachi to make the first move and then he would reply, not putting himself in danger first and trying to force Heihachi to put himself in a weak position... Lee seemed really calm which was really strange for Heihachi. He always could put Lee into such uncomfortable position, embarrass him or dishearten him so easily normally... It was one of the things he always found amusing about that kid... But Lee now kept his composure and seemed imperturbable... Heihachi told him:

"Lee... I’m impressed. You’re good."

Hearing what his father just told him, Lee suddenly seemed to lose some of his concentration. Pleasantly troubled, he replied while backing away:

"Thank you."

But his sudden emotional state, even if for a second, made him loosen up his guard and Heihachi quickly moved forward, punching his son in the face. Lee fell down on the ropes and Heihachi followed with a kick to the stomach, making Lee fall down on the ground. The adoptive father then told his son:

"My mistake. I was wrong it seems, you’re as weak as always..."

Heihachi then stomped on his adoptive son’s back, making Lee grunt in pain and regret his earlier surprise.

"Don’t ever let emotions get the best of you, Lee! It was always your problem! Whoever you’re fighting, whatever they say, don’t care about it! Until the end of the fight. As I always told you and Kazuya: A fight is about who’s left standing! Nothing else! But you never understand!"

Lee quickly rolled away to avoid another kick from his father. Gazing toward Wang who was trying to encourage him, Lee tried to calm down. His father was right: Nothing else... Yet he was nervous, he was stressed out now... He had to win! For Wang, for his friends, for his glory and for the Mishima Zaibatsu... No, he had to put those stressful thoughts aside... The fight only...

Calming down a bit, not caring about the blood that was now abundantly coming from his nose and staining his mouth and chin, Lee went back into the fight and somehow managed to hold his own for a while but that little nervousness and fear he felt toward his father, and knowing the fact that his father was far stronger than him, put Lee into a bad position once more. And to think that if he won, he would have to confront Kazuya after... No, the fight! Only think about the present fight! Nothing else! One fight at the time! Wang always told him he was too dissipated and his father just told him he was too emotional... They both were right...

Lee had learned a lot about patience, calm and discipline from Wang who was mostly using those tactics to win since at this age, he wasn’t relying on his strength alone anymore. And Wang was serene and patient while teaching him, unlike Heihachi, so Lee could assimilate more easily that lesson than when it was his father telling him, insulting him or laughing at him if he didn’t succeed... But they both were right about it, so Lee backed away, keeping his defensive position, and tried to calm down. This time, Heihachi didn’t follow with some attack and only gazed at Lee with a cheeky and almost mocking smile. Lee knew Heihachi was trying to trouble him, his father was still scorning and mocking him but he focused even more on keeping his defense.

"So you calmed down, now?" asked Heihachi, crossing his arms while still keeping his taunting smile. Lee couldn’t help but suddenly feel irritated but he quickly tried to push his emotions away. Heihachi wanted him to lose his cool but he wouldn’t... Not to challenge his father and prove him wrong but just because he had to think of the fight only.

They fought for a while again but despite trying to push those feelings away, Lee was always slightly disheartened by his father’s constant confident smile (and great fighting skills). After a while of fighting, Heihachi, always keeping his cheeky smile, punched his son in the stomach and while Lee slightly bent down, he grabbed Lee’s head and slammed his own head on his son’s, giving him a powerful headbutt, sending Lee staggering backward. Totally dizzy by his father’s almost inhumanly hardened head, Lee didn’t react quickly enough to the next attack and Heihachi kicked him in the face.

Spinning out of control, Lee fell down on his face. He then tried to quickly recover but before he could get up on his four, Heihachi kneeled beside him and, grabbing his son’s waist with one arm as he got up, he lifted Lee by his side. The father then told his son:

"You really deserve that spanking now..."

The silver-haired demon instantly recognized the particular grab, when his father was about to spank him, as he so often did when raising him, even in his adult years. But it was at home, Heihachi never spanked him in public (except maybe in the VIP box or in front of some servants but they were discreet employees) so Lee could remain dignified and respected in the public eye. Lee was trying to avoid that fate now by struggling to get free but Heihachi was holding him very tightly and in his wounded state, the young man could not get out of the embarrassing hold. Anyway, even not wounded, he never could... Heihachi was so strong... That dignified image Lee was trying to maintain was about to be destroyed by his angry adoptive father. He had just been noogied some time ago in front of his friends and other fighters in the locker room and now he would be spanked and humiliated before millions of spectators... Panicked, Lee struggled even more to get free and unable to, he begged his father:

"Otousama! Please! Not that! Not in front of everyone!"

Heihachi growled and said:

"I told you, don’t you Otousama me..."

The older man then gazed toward the VIP box and defiantly stared at Kazuya, who was still sitting alone while staring at the fight with a harsh expression, before he smiled evilly and told Lee, who was still hopelessly trying to free himself:

"You want to play in the big leagues like your big brother? Fine with me! Welcome to the adult world!"

And still maintaining Lee in his firm grip, Heihachi gave him a very painful hold, Lee had the feeling that his father had broken his back before he threw him on the ground. Groaning in pain, Lee tried to get up but his painful back forbid him to do so quickly enough before Heihachi violently stomped over his back with his feet, forcing his son to stay down. Heihachi then grabbed his son’s right arm and brutally twisted it, making Lee scream in pain.

Heihachi then gazed at the VIP box and Kazuya once more and, still holding his moaning adoptive son’s arm, he violently slammed his foot over Lee’s knee, making a snapping sound as bones were crushed under the geta sandal. As Lee was clinging to the ground in pain, Heihachi continued beating him, twisting his limbs, hitting him with kicks in the head and face, brutally stomping over him with his geta sandals, somehow showing Kazuya what would await him once they would fight together. Each subsequent moves were done so brutally that Lee kept on screaming in pain, begging his father to stop. Already half-beaten, Lee was still trying to defend himself and get out of Heihachi’s hold but Heihachi was far stronger than him... Lee was powerless against his furious father who kept on beating him to show Kazuya an example of what he would do to him, only using Lee as a tool for it. Kazuya kept looking at his adoptive brother being brutally beaten without any emotion for Lee but only a cold hate for his father. Heihachi could do whatever he wished to Lee but he would certainly not impress or scare him...

When Heihachi had judged he had impressed Kazuya enough, the fighting mat now being stained on multiple areas with Lee’s blood, he left Lee alone and his adoptive son was taken out of the ring, comatose and barely alive, while Kazuya still looked at him with an indifferent gaze. Yet despite not showing it, Kazuya feared his father’s wrath...

As the medics were quickly taking Lee to the ambulance, Marshall and Paul followed Lee’s stretcher in worry for a while and Paul told him:

"I’ll avenge you! I’ll beat your father to the ground!"

Meanwhile Wang was both worried for Lee and disheartened to have lost his chosen champion... Looking at the ring, seeing Heihachi lifting his hands in victory while laughing, Wang sadly thought that the Mishima Zaibatsu would belong to either Heihachi or Kazuya... Those two corrupted and evil persons...


	32. Last minute change

Lee woke up at the hospital. He barely remembered the fight but it seemed Heihachi had been rough with him. He had one arm and one leg in plaster cast, lots of bandages and one eye could barely open with that side of his face being completely swollen. And most of all, he was stuck to a hospital bed, plugged into multiple devices and solutes. Lee really thought he had received the worst beating he ever did of his life. His body hurt from everywhere... His father never sent him to the hospital before, his punishments were mostly humiliating ones, not painful and incapacitating ones like now... Maybe he should have taken the spanking instead...

Now having just woken up, Lee was already quite disheartened. He had lost his job. He had played it all and lost it all... No job, no Mishima Zaibatsu... Kazuya told him very clearly that he didn’t want to see him anymore if he came to the Tournament, anyway Lee told him he didn’t want to work for him anymore, which was true, and Heihachi, who was already angry at him for his betrayal, just tried to kill him, or only make him deeply suffer but still... Lee knew Heihachi would never take him back... Asking him to never call him Otousama again... He could say good-bye to that CEO position forever and his place in the family... At least, before the Tournament, he had made investments to keep some money left should he lose... In case something really bad would happen... like now...

Looking around his hospital room, Lee then noticed some get well cards from some of his friends and many flower bouquets, mostly his favorite, roses. Most of his friends knew how he loved roses... Lee tried to pick one of the cards to read it but while doing so in his disabled state, he clumsily made many others fall down from the bedside table.

"Oh drat..."

At least, he didn’t make the flowers fall but he would have to wait for a nurse to come to be able to read the other cards that fell down since he couldn’t get out from the bed with his plaster casts, mostly the leg one, he couldn’t bend his leg at all... At least, with the many cards that fell down, it meant he had friends... many friends... That was heartwarming... And the roses were beautiful...

So he began reading the one he held in his hand, one that was from Marshall and Paul: _We went to visit you and you were still in a coma,_

Still? How much time have I been in a coma? wondered Lee who continued reading: _we didn’t know you were so lazy. Get up! (Sorry, Paul asked me to write that last part, I didn’t really want to... but I wish you to get out of bed soon. And Paul says that it wasn’t to annoy you that he said that, he just wants you to get on your feet soon) We both hope you have a complete and quick recovery. Sorry for the quick departure. We had to go back to the U.S. as soon as possible for the family. Take care and thanks for everything. Come and visit when you get well, even though I don’t know where any of us will be living. We’ll have to contact each other soon. Marshall and Paul._

They always leave... thought Lee with some sadness. He would have wished to see them before... And contact each other soon? Lee wondered how he would do to find them if they were back in the United States. Marshall didn’t even tell him his last address and now they seemed to still be moving or something... They won’t be able to come back to Japan since they were always broke...

Because one thing seemed certain; it was that Paul didn’t win... If he’s going back to the United States, he somehow finished the Tournament... And if he had won, he would have written it all over the card... Lee thought that if he wanted to see them now, he would probably find them in some fighting ring in the United States. It would be the best place to look but even then, there were so many... But whatever, they weren’t that friend with him, he often felt like the third wheel, somehow giving money and paying to be accepted... He had many friends indeed but he sometimes wondered how many of his ‘friends’ were more friends for the money he could give them than for him but he liked to think that most must be real friends. They did look like it... Marshall and Paul also probably would be friends even if he didn’t give them money, Marshall often showed genuine concern for him when he lived in the United States and Paul took his side against Heihachi in the locker room but he still felt like the third wheel with them and now was not the time to go looking for them since he had to think about his own situation. He would first have to heal...

* * *

Three days ago...

Marshall was standing depressed with Paul. Paul was supposed to fight against Heihachi to know who would fight Kazuya but he had arrived late for the fight, so he was disqualified. Paul had protested violently at the fact that he was now eliminated from the Tournament since he didn’t come on time. It wasn’t his fault but the stupid traffic! Many Mishima guards had to kick him out of the arena area when he began to make a scene and wanted to already fight Kazuya over this.

Now sitting on a park bench outside of the hospital where they had just visited Lee, both the friends were quite depressed... Marshall had hoped Paul would be able to win this time... For both Paul’s satisfaction and to help him with his financial troubles... He had so many things to pay, the food, the rent, the clothes...

Now Lee had lost the fight, his job and his hopes of getting the Mishima Zaibatsu since he almost died at the hands of his angry adoptive father. Marshall didn’t think he could count on his rich friend anymore. He hoped Lee would be fine at least... He was still comatose... At least, he was stable and would wake up one day... But Heihachi was such a monster... A really bad father... Marshall did care about Lee, not just about what Lee could give him but right now, Marshall was mostly worrying about his own personal problems. He had promised his wife he would come back with money and get rid of their many financial problems...

"I don’t have any money... I can’t pay my dojo, I can’t even pay the rent of our apartment... Again..."

Paul sadly looked at Marshall and told him:

"Maybe it’s better that you leave that place... Full of mice... Mold in the walls... Toilet leaking..."

Despite being completely frustrated and depressed by his own elimination, Paul tried to make Marshall see the good sides of leaving his current apartment, one of the worst his family had in years...

"Yeah, but where will we go? I know I hate to leave my family in such a dump but the only other option is the street... I don’t want my little boy to grow up in the streets... I thought... I could get us out of there..."

Marshall was completely depressed while Paul really didn’t know what to do to make his friend feel better. He was already so depressed, well, mostly angered, by his lost chance to win the Tournament just because of the stupid traffic... He would have won! They should have rescheduled the event! The spectators would have loved it, a fight between him and Heihachi would have been totally exciting! And would sell much! But no, they’d rather cancel the thing, give half the money back to those who bought tickets for the event and leave many people unhappy of the decision, including him... But of course, knowing the Mishima’s family feuds, Paul guessed that Kazuya probably wanted to fight his father, despite losing money over this... and Paul also thought with a bit of somehow frustrated pride that Kazuya probably feared him... Because this time, Paul knew he would have won... and Kazuya probably knew it as well... Too frustrated over his loss, Paul got up and told Marshall:

"I’m going for a walk, I can’t stay here and do nothin’. It’s too frustrating!"

Marshall replied on a still depressed tone:

"Fine. Come back later. I’ll stay here. I don’t fell like walking... I don’t feel like anything..."

And Paul left.

Suddenly a masked man came to Marshall who didn’t even see him approaching but who recognized the man as the contestant named Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu had just succeeded to extract the information he needed from the still hospitalized Kunimitsu. He would now be able to go save the animals from Doctor Abel’s lab... But before Marshall could do or say anything, the ninja politely bowed and told him:

"Forgive me but I couldn’t help but hear your conversation. It seems like you and your family have quite some troubles right now... The Manji Clan has never been insensitive to poverty, it is our life goal to help people, I think we could help you a bit..."

Yoshimitsu discreetly handed some money to Marshall. He handed him 850 000 yens, which meant about 8000$ in American dollars. Marshall was astounded: With this, he could pay his rent, leave the place and pay for a better apartment, pay things for Forest’s school and food for the family and even pay the rent for his dojo and probably completely repair it! Without that money, he would have lost the dojo since he couldn’t pay for the repair or the rent! He could probably even pay a nice gift for his wife since she always had such trouble to make end’s meet with what they had and many times, she had to take small jobs not gratifying at all just so they could eat that month... With his dojo, he would give his family a far better future, if no annoying guy came and wrecked it again... At least, the other guy seemed repentant but it didn’t give him money for that... Anyway, that Baek Doo San seemed as broke as him...

As Yoshimitsu handed him the money, Marshall felt a little bad to take a gift from a guy who seemed to be some enemy of his friend Lee and who almost killed him but he did need the money... Beside Yoshimitsu was stealing the Mishima Zaibatsu, not trying to kill Lee even if they crossed path... The fact that Lee was still alive showed that Yoshimitsu had spared him... As Lee said, it was kind of an accident... And somehow the money was better in his hands than in that ninja’s hands... While Marshall still seemed troubled and hesitant, the ninja added:

"But I would advise you to go back to your family as soon as possible now... Maybe change the money to American currency first... and discreetly..."

"Huh... Okay... Huh... Thank you... But I don’t know how to repay..."

Marshall was still a little conflicted, wondering if he should be angry at the guy for his friend or grateful for the money. Well, the ninja just helped him, so he should be... Again, he didn’t kill Lee... It wasn’t betraying Lee to take money from that guy... And the Mishima Zaibatsu was only a giant corporation taking advantage of poor people like all corporations, so... The ninja simply replied:

"To know I helped you and your family is my reward. Now go back to your family."

And as quickly as he appeared, the ninja left. He had to go save Alex and Roger from more experiments...

Knowing the money was not gained too honestly, Marshall decided to leave as soon as possible to somehow not get caught with complicity. So when Paul came back, Marshall told him:

"Huh... We have to go now, Paul..."

"Where?"

"Hum... Well... back to the States. But before we leave, we gotta go to some foreign exchange office..."

"Huh? Why?"

"I’ll explain to you later. We’ll have to find some good hiding places on us... Maybe your hair..."

"Huh?"

Marshall wondered if the money, once they change it for American dollars, would go through custom or if it would be confiscated (and traced back to the ninja’s robbery), so he wanted to hide it until they would be safely back in the United States. But he first began to walk toward the hospital and told Paul:

"First let’s see if Chaolan is doing better."

"We just went to see him half an hour ago. I don’t think he’ll be better now."

"Whatever. We have to bring him a get well card."

Marshall was indeed wondering why the ninja was lurking around the hospital and wanted to see if Yoshimitsu had not tried to kill Lee or something... even if he didn’t last time... After making sure Lee was fine and in good hands, and leaving him the get well card, the two left for the United States.


	33. Comeback

While Lee was still thinking about the last events, a nurse came to his room and aside from asking her for his fallen get well cards, Lee asked her what day they were. Like Marshall and Paul get well card seemed to indicate, he had been in a coma for at least three days since Paul’s fight seemed to be over and the last fights were occurring with three days interval. The nurse told him that some of his friends came to regularly visit him, that the doctor will come to see him soon and then told him the day they now were and Lee realized that it was the final day of the Tournament. The final fight had begun since half an hour, Lee didn’t think it was over so, out of curiosity to see the winner of the Tournament, he asked the nurse to turn on the T.V. in his room.

As he somehow expected with Paul’s departure, it was his adoptive father who was against his adoptive brother. In a way, he didn’t really care who would win, they both wouldn’t take him back anyway... But he somehow feared his father’s victory if it did happen since he did betray Heihachi to side with Kazuya while he didn’t join anyone against Kazuya... Yet he also feared some victory from Kazuya since Kazuya was very ruthless and Lee had told him he would take him to face justice... and Lee didn’t know how Kazuya would punish him if he discovered what he did behind his back... They were both to be feared... The best would be if a bomb was dropped on the stage right now, killing both Heihachi and Kazuya... He probably would inherit then... And looking at his get well cards while the T.V. was on, Lee noticed that unsurprisingly, neither Kazuya nor Heihachi had sent him a get well card... They probably didn’t come to visit either... Not like he would want them to anyway...

* * *

Some times sooner...

Kazuya was preparing to go in the ring. He had put his usual white karate gi pants tied with his black belt and was also wearing his red gloves and foot guards. Having seen how Heihachi had brutally beaten Lee, he was a little nervous... And like Lee had wondered, Kazuya felt indeed a little lonely...

His best friends, Bruce and Anna were both missing and even Lee, who was someone who could partially understand him because of much of their childhood together and despite their difference of opinion on many things, was actually comatose and not here to somehow support him against their father Heihachi... Maybe he was even dead, Kazuya had not informed himself about his brother’s state but he guessed someone would have told him if that was the case, maybe. Anyway he didn’t really care... He somehow had hoped Lee would take his side but he knew he didn’t really act to keep his brother on his side... Many times he even wanted Lee to leave... Maybe Lee would even try to get back in their father’s good graces if he could since his little brother told him he wouldn’t come back under his leadership... Yet with how Heihachi destroyed Lee, that possibility would probably not happen... Lee’s chances with his father were probably non-existent... Heihachi really didn’t want him back...

Anyway, Kazuya mostly cared for the absence of his close friends... But he couldn’t get any of them to be with him tonight, Anna was cryogenically preserved and if he tried to take her out of this before the allowed time, the shock would kill her... Kazuya didn’t want to take that risk toward one of the few people he could call friend... He should never have allowed her to take that risk and to follow her despicable sister... Like many of Anna’s action, it probably was done in the spur of the moment and she would have changed her mind later... He should have been more firm with her and tried to reason her... But she never was really reasonable to begin with... She did many dangerous things just for the fun of it... or mostly because of her sister... Kazuya remembered how he met her...

* * *

Almost two years ago...

After coming back from some reunion that afternoon, Kazuya was served his usual coffee by Lee and entered his office. But before he could sit at his desk, he noticed someone, a woman, dressed in a long red silk dress at the other side of the large room... Gazing by the large window over the city, she turned toward him when she heard him enter. Kazuya asked her on a harsh tone, ready to confront her:

"Who are you?"

She wasn’t supposed to be in here, no one was supposed to enter here without permission. Has Lee permitted her to enter? Kazuya thought that Lee was crazy, he was such a ladies’ man that he would let any woman in because she would be sexy... Kazuya had never dated in his life and Lee probably wanted him to date that woman... Lee never annoyed him with that, probably wanting to keep all the beautiful women to himself, but he did force him to meet people with that bowling thing not long ago... Maybe he now thought his big brother should date and wanted to push him into the arms of that woman who looked quite like a femme fatale... Annoying brother with his stupid social things... Kazuya took note to kill Lee as soon as he threw that woman out of his office.

"I’m Anna Williams..." said the brunette as she came toward him, swinging her hips in a sexy way.

"But what are you doing here? What do you want?" asked Kazuya as he put his coffee cup on his desk, preparing to fight some maybe assassin sent to kill him. She looked like a femme fatale but also like an assassin... He continued on a threatening tone:

"How did you enter here? Has my secretary anything to do with this? He’s the one who let you in?"

But technically Kazuya knew that even Lee didn’t have the keys for that room and Kazuya always locked his office when he was going to some reunion so it probably wasn’t the annoying brother’s doing... Kazuya wondered: Has he forgotten to lock his door this time? Or has that woman really entered here without any permission, somehow forcing the door? Why hasn’t Lee told him about that woman when giving him his coffee? He didn’t know? But the woman answered back:

"No. He was busy with some invalid tax paper or something, I didn’t really understand what it really was about, but he went to help the young secretary who asked him for help. That girl was in a complete panic, even crying over those papers, so he tried to calm her and accepted to go help her after politely excusing himself for leaving me alone..."

Anna smiled, remembering with some pleasure the events as she continued:

"I know he didn’t really want to leave me alone... He smiled so charmingly at me when I first talked to him and asked him if I could meet you... He really enjoyed my presence and kept gazing at my legs when I was sitting... while pretending to type, or maybe he really was typing, I don’t know... Not to brag, but I think he was slightly distracted..." answered Anna still taking some sensual pose while she continued explaining:

"I first asked him to meet you and he told me you were busy and I would have to wait. So I waited. When he went away, I used the few time he was not here to, hum, open the door and meet you."

"The door was locked. You entered an unauthorized area."

"Yes, so I’m waiting for your authorization now..."

"Why have you entered? If you have no good reason, I tell you, you’ll get out by the window and I’m not joking."

"I have a really good reason to meet you. I want to tell you about an attempt on your life. I want to save your life."

"What? From who?"

"There is a woman who will come here, who’s been hired in your corporation as a accountant and will try to kill you. Her name is Carla Stepford but she really is Nina Williams, my sister. She’ll try to kill you, she has been hired for this. Well, hired by someone else than your corporation for this... Your corporation only hired her as an accountant, not a killer... I hope I explained myself well..."

"... And, why do you tell me? How do you know? She told you?"

"No, that bitch would never tell me anything... But trying to rival her, I’ve been hired by those people as well, I only accepted the job to know more details but I’d rather take your side..."

"Why?"

"To annoy my sister... and you’re kind of handsome... and you would probably pay more if I save you. All those reasons, in that order."

"In that order? To annoy your sister before the money?"

Kazuya didn’t think he was handsome but he would not argue with that reason since the subject made him feel really uncomfortable. He’d rather pretend he didn’t hear anything about that subject. Anna answered Kazuya:

"Yes."

Kazuya crossed his arms, still listening to her as he seemed to be less distrustful. Yet he still didn’t drop all cautiousness... He told her:

"Hum. I can understand that. Even though I do not know your family history... But still, family first... It’s the same with me..."

Anna came closer and somehow feeling some similarities between them with the family thing, Kazuya let her, while still staring at her with some distrust though, ready for anything...

"Nina Williams is a renowned assassin, very dangerous but I have details on that assassin, many details since she is my sister..."

Anna giggled and added:

"I even have embarrassing photos of her if you want to see..."

Noticing Kazuya’s unenthusiastic face, she continued on a more serious tone:

"I know her modus operandi and her weaknesses... If you remember, she tried to kill your father during the last Tournament..."

"That wouldn’t make her an enemy..."

"But in fact, since she is hired by a rival corporation, it’s not against your father that she was but against the Mishima Zaibatsu. Anyone who is at its head is her target. You are her target now... Not Heihachi Mishima."

"Which corporation?"

"I’ll tell you everything but first, hire me as your bodyguard."

"I’ll take you temporarily. If you prove your affirmations to be true, I’ll hire you for as long as you wish."

After a while of discussion, Kazuya and Anna got out of the office. Lee suddenly noticed the beautiful woman who had come here some times ago and that he thought had left since she wasn’t there anymore when he came back from helping that new inexperienced secretary with her paperwork. Kazuya had entered his office only after he was back, how come she was in it? Noticing his confusion, Anna said nothing and only winked at him while she followed Kazuya to the elevator.

Kazuya wanted to verify if Anna’s information were accurate and if he could trust her. Yet he didn’t speak about any of this to Lee since he still didn’t trust his brother either... Being the one who would inherit, should something happened to him, Lee could have some ties with that organization or even may have let Anna enter the office somehow thinking she would kill him... Kazuya trusted neither of them for now. Anna had to prove herself first before he would trust her.

But as the Nina attempt on his life proved to be true and after Anna showed him she really wanted to protect him from Nina or from that organization that wanted his death, even working very efficiently against that rival corporation as a double agent for a short time, which helped the Mishima Zaibatsu destroy that competition, Kazuya began to trust her, even held her in great esteem and took her as his bodyguard, like Bruce who was appointed bodyguard recently.

Touched and pleased by the trust and esteem Kazuya now gave her since she never was held in great esteem by her own family, Anna became really loyal to Kazuya, who was somehow the authority figure she needed recognition from, having always been denied of it by her own father. Anna then mostly hanged out with Kazuya and Bruce and Kazuya considered them both his best friends. Later, Anna would get closer to Lee but Kazuya would always remain the one she was closer to.

* * *

Remembering Anna, Kazuya really missed her lively personality and he missed his loyal friend Bruce as well...

Unlike for Anna, Kazuya had felt trust toward Bruce from the first day he met him. While looking for animals, Kazuya and his group had rescued Bruce from a plane crash so it may have been normal that the muay thai kickboxer felt grateful and acted in a friendly way toward the one who saved him. But Kazuya was not used to such a friendly attitude; focused on revenge, he always confronted people he met and having first grown around his hateful father who kept tormenting him, then having been forced to always confront his adoptive brother, Kazuya was always on the look-out for danger, always ready to fight back. So someone being friendly toward him was quite strange for the Japanese man yet he did appreciate it (even if Lee tried to be friendly as well first, Kazuya knew his new brother was brought home for the purpose of confrontation, they had to confront each other, it could not be any other way. They could not get along and Kazuya quickly realized it, so he never felt the same as with Bruce).

Maybe it was Bruce’s no-nonsense attitude or his frankness that made Kazuya like him but they really quickly became friends. Bruce’s frankness somehow pushed Kazuya to open more with him and despite still keeping a lot of secrets from his American friend, not being a sentimental weakling like Lee, Kazuya did tell more to Bruce than to any other person around him. And moreover, Bruce had succeeded in bringing out some good out of Kazuya’s heart, making him feel empathy toward children, since Kazuya himself had been victim of abuse when he was young, and had convinced him to give to children causes. Yet the same could not really be said for Bruce since instead of bringing out the best in Bruce, Kazuya had somehow corrupted his friend to go toward crime and now Bruce was even more involved than he already was before his plane crashed. Before meeting Kazuya, Bruce had killed a man during some match in Thailand which somehow caused the detective who was after him for that case to die in the plane crash which was the reason why Lei Wulong was after him but since his involvement with the Mishima Zaibatsu, Bruce was now going even deeper into crime, dragged by his new friend, blindly following Kazuya... And he now had to hide since that annoying Interpol agent wasn’t neutralized yet...

Lei Wulong may have lost in the Tournament but he had not been killed... and he was now lurking around the Zaibatsu, dismantling the criminal groups that had ties with the Mishima Zaibatsu... Those less powerful than the giant conglomerate but that could still provide important compromising facts against the Mishima Zaibatsu... Kazuya had learned that the Flowers of death members were now being arrested one by one... The group would soon not exist anymore... That Lei Wulong was quite a dangerous cop... With Michelle Chang, he had saved her mother and both the women now fled the country... Kazuya thought that he would kill that woman and her mother when he would find them and mostly kill that annoying cop...

And where was that stupid Ganryu? He was supposed to keep an eye on Michelle Chang! But Kazuya always suspected that this imbecile was indeed an imbecile... The Yokozuna of the imbeciles... Maybe he was dead, it was highly more probable that Lei Wulong arrested him but Kazuya didn’t give a damn. Again, Ganryu may have been one of his bodyguards but he wasn’t held in deep esteem like Bruce and Anna... Those two were intelligent, those two were loyal... And Kazuya missed them... But he had been or felt alone for a large part of his life and he could face everything, he didn’t need to have someone beside him, encouraging him, he was able to do it alone. He had beaten Heihachi the first time without anyone standing beside him, he would again... Kazuya knew someone would die tonight and he would make sure it would be Heihachi...

As he walked in the corridor to go to the ring, hearing the already cheering crowd at the end of the corridor, Kazuya suddenly noticed someone: Jun. It seemed Jun had passed security and she was waiting for him in the corridor before he would get out in public. Kazuya felt troubled: He had not known Jun for very long but he had loved her very much and still did... Yet he had chased her away and even beaten her... The sight of his lover both surprised him and embarrassed him... Trying not to look embarrassed, he said on an attempted neutral tone but still sounding slightly surprised:

"Jun..."

Jun looked at him with the same loving gaze as she always had before, yet maybe with some sadness and worries as well...

"Kazuya... I wanted to see you..."

After their last encounter, Jun had been feeling desperate and depressed for both Kazuya’s rejection of her and for seeing her lover’s horrible monster appearance. She then wanted to hide away from everything, not being able to confront any of this but after speaking with Lee over the phone, she felt some regrets to have left and to have somehow given up, and now after having seen how her ‘brother-in-law’ was brutally beaten by Heihachi, Jun got really scared for Kazuya and decided to help him one last time. Looking at him now, she remembered how much she loved him and how much he meant to her... Despite seeing Kazuya at his worst, in his Devil form, she was still seeing the wounded little boy inside, the good person he could be... Besides, he was the father of her child... She would probably have to tell him one day...

Looking at Jun now walking toward him, still with her soft gaze, as she seemed relieved to see him, Kazuya stopped walking, ashamed for their last encounter. When Jun got close to him, Kazuya lowered his head and told her:

"... I’m sorry for what I did to you last time... I... I was not myself... I..."

Jun put her hand on his shoulder and softly said:

"I know."

"... You won’t tell... what... you saw?" asked Kazuya, looking aside, still not daring to look at her in the eyes.

Kazuya was quite nervous about this. Jun could make him pass as a monster in front of everyone, could reveal what he was, even the Mishima Zaibatsu guards wouldn’t accept such a monster despite him being their boss and would probably all get against him... He could be gunned down on the stage... Nobody knew of his ‘abnormal condition’, except Jun and Heihachi. And that assassin, Nina Williams, but she was frozen for twenty years and would probably die from the many experiments Kazuya planned to put her through. And luckily, Heihachi was also worrying about the family honor or else the old man would have told everybody already... But despite knowing what he was, Jun still looked at him with love and said:

"No. It wasn’t you. I still want to help you."

Despite Jun’s kind answer, Kazuya seemed annoyed. He looked at her in the eyes and told her frankly:

"Jun... I don’t want to hurt you, in any way, but... leave. You have nothing to do here. Leave. Leave me. You’ll only be disappointed. I’m not what you want me to be and I will never be."

Jun then asked Kazuya on a slightly sad tone:

"Kazuya... You really don’t want to see me?"

"I can’t see you, Jun. It wouldn’t work."

It really wouldn’t work between them and Kazuya even knew that for more safety, to hide his real self, he should kill her... His inner voice, Devil, was telling him he should... But Kazuya couldn’t... He didn’t want to... Noticing that Kazuya still didn’t want to see her, despite being less violent than last time, Jun still answered on a sad tone:

"No. Don’t say that, you’re already condemning our story to end."

"Because it must. It already has. Didn’t you see what I just did to you last time? I can be worse, far worse than that."

"You can also be better than that."

Kazuya seemed disheartened and sighed. Except for his mother and grandfather, no one had such faith in his kindness, being mostly seen as an evil monster by his father since he was a little boy didn’t help him become good and somehow even pushed him to act like if it was the case, even before he really became a true monster at heart, acting badly toward his adopted brother or toward the servants to somehow prove his father right, knowing he could never convince Heihachi of the contrary. Besides, he really didn’t want to be kind toward his father, who was the real evil one and who had killed his mother and probably his grandfather... But maybe he could have been friend with Lee if he didn’t start on such bad basis, somehow created by his father, making him push away anyone who could be kind to him... Now Kazuya knew he had really become a monster, maybe he even always was, even without Heihachi’s influence since he really was possessed by Devil, but he didn’t really care, he even enjoyed it...

Except when Jun was seeing him as a good man... He knew he wasn’t but her faith in him was so pleasing... and embarrassing. He felt bad not meeting her expectations but he was relieved that Jun would think so and she really seemed like she wouldn’t betray him but she also seemed like she would not leave him alone... Yet he didn’t want to end their meeting like the other day... He really cared about her and didn’t want to hurt her but he had a match to go to...

"You always must have the last word... But, look Jun, I cannot. I have many things to take care of and you better not be near."

Those things to do required the help of Devil and Kazuya knew what Jun wanted of him... with her strange and slightly frightening powers... Kazuya always felt something strange about her but last time, he really got frightened by her mysterious powers... He would not let her exorcise him, he needed Devil’s power until at least when he beat Heihachi then maybe he could get rid if it... But probably not. Somehow it was part of him, he could not betray Devil or even destroy himself... Now Devil was his only companion, like before... When he thought that no one who was close to him remained and that he was alone, he was wrong, in fact, he never was alone, Devil always helped him go through everything. He owed the entity his survival, his life... Even if not willingly, everybody else left except Devil... and Jun, who seemed to have come back...

But she didn’t have to live this... Unlike his friends who already were into some kind of trouble or messed-up life before meeting him, Jun had a good life. She was kind, she was innocent, Kazuya felt bad putting her into this situation, into his own messed-up life. She was just too high above him... Too good... It was better for her to not see him again. Kazuya knew that if he would try to be a good man for her, he would fail one day or another... They weren’t alike at all... And Jun was asking too many sacrifices from him...

Jun was taking that second rejection quite hard. It took all her strength to come back here after the last events and now she was being rejected by Kazuya again... Jun knew it would take her all her strength to really be able to convince and exorcise Kazuya, to really save him form the evil influence and he was already sending her away, even before she tried anything... Knowing Kazuya was going toward something that could destroy him, that this match may be his last, and that it may be her last chance to help him, Jun began to have teary eyes.

"Kazuya..."

"Jun, don’t act like this... I have a fight to do", said Kazuya, trying to sound harsh but showing more softness than he would have wished in his voice.

Then slightly but kindly pushing her away, gently brushing her arm while doing so, almost like a last caress, Kazuya walked beside her and left to go on the ring. After a second of heart sinking emotions, Jun turned toward Kazuya who was walking away and told him:

"Kazuya! You’ll hurt yourself if you do that! Please forfeit the fight!"

"I can’t forfeit. I’ll lose everything if I do", answered the Mishima CEO while not turning back.

"You’ll lose everything if you go..." muttered Jun, feeling fearful for him.

But Kazuya didn’t listen anymore and kept walking toward the ring. Jun tried to run to him, to stop him, but Mishima guards stopped her while Kazuya kept walking, not looking back and not hearing Jun yelling in despair that he had to stop this for the sake of their future child as the crowd now cheered over his entrance.


	34. The final confrontation

Kazuya walked to the ring as the crowd cheered in excitement...

Once on it, he saw his hated father at the far side of the ring, crossing his arms and having a cheeky smile on his face, like if he wanted to provoke his son already. Of course, he did, thought Kazuya, the old man always was like that... But somehow, Kazuya wasn’t very obsessed by hate. Right now, he mostly had Jun in his mind. Why did she come? Why does she still loves him? With what happened last time, she should have gone away... And he had a fight to do, an important one! The most important one of his life! He didn’t have time to be distracted by her! Yet lifting his gaze toward Heihachi who was coming toward him before the fight would begin, Kazuya could only see Jun and think of her. She looked so sad... Yet she would do better without him...

"What’s the matter, Kazuya? You’re scared?" asked his father, still keeping his cheeky grin while noticing that Kazuya’s mind seemed elsewhere.

The words made Kazuya come back to reality and he said on a detached and annoyed tone:

"You always ask me that. You should know I’m not scared of you, I just hate you."

The referee then told them to go into their respective corner before the fight would start and Heihachi told Kazuya as he left to go to his corner:

"Oh yes, you’re scared... You know you will lose..."

Ignoring his father’s reply, Kazuya went to his corner as well. The fight then started. Not losing any time, Kazuya jumped toward his father, trying to kick him and trying to give himself the will to fight by acting aggressively. He would forget Jun once in the heat of the fight. Heihachi backed away, avoiding the attack before he began to laugh and said:

"Hahaha... You can’t focus, you’re totally desperate..."

Kazuya knew he was not desperate but he still was troubled... Even if the thought of Jun was fading since Kazuya was trying to suppress it as much as he could, he was still thinking about her and it gave him all sort of conflicted emotions... He still loved her, he didn’t want to lose her but he didn’t want to lose Devil either... Devil gave him self-confidence and power while Jun gave him inner peace... except when she tried to exorcise him and right now, she was giving him more trouble than anything but he remembered when they spent time at his mansion, he felt so free from all the hate he always kept inside him since his mother’s murder... But he probably couldn’t have both inner peace and revenge at the same time... and he would never give up his revenge. As he punched Kazuya in the face, Heihachi smiled and said:

"You know, what I did to Lee... I’ll do three time worse to you..."

"And I’ll kill you. I won’t take time to torture you as I would have wished, I’ll just plainly kill you", replied Kazuya as he punched back his hated father who quickly parried the strike.

"I don’t know, you seem tired..."

"I’m not tired. Maybe of you but that’s all."

Yet Kazuya did feel somehow tired... He just couldn’t muster the hate and anger he needed to confront his father. He was actually thinking his revenge had to be but did not feel it with a passion like before... Kazuya didn’t feel hate to the point of torturing his father, normally he would have but now he was just feeling the need to get rid of him but no hate or resentment coming with it. Maybe he really was tired of all this... If only the fight could be delayed another day, he would have time to take back control of himself... What was happening to him? Was it really Jun who troubled him that much? Or some general tiredness? A real fear of his father? Whatever it was, he had to put it aside... He had to gather the will to fight... the will to win... Heihachi replied as he punched Kazuya again:

"No, you’re definitively tired. Maybe you spent too much time with those drug dealers last night... or maybe you shouldn’t have organized that last murder attempt on me... Organization takes sometimes a lot of work... Luckily, I had a friend among those Mishima guards you sent, who warned me of your intentions..."

Kazuya wasn’t surprised that his umpteenth attempt on his father’s life had failed but he was slightly surprised that someone among those guards betrayed him for his father... He hired them after he came in power, they shouldn’t show loyalty to Heihachi... He knew many of the old ones had remained loyal to Heihachi, he had uncovered a lot of plots with executives still devoted to his hated father, he didn’t trust the old employees at all... Somehow he was already losing the Zaibatsu to that hated man, like he was losing Jun for maybe a hopeless fight... But Jun really was asking too much of him, of the person he wasn’t... Despite his nose now bleeding with the powerful punch he just received, Kazuya kept an indifferent face, trying to hide his emotions from his hated father before he asked:

"You spent your time spying on me, Oyaji?"

"Of course. I had to know what to punish you for. Now I’m just spoiled for choice... You’re so depraved..."

As Heihachi threw himself toward Kazuya, trying to kick him now, his son answered as he grabbed Heihachi’s foot:

"Do you think I care about your opinion? If you’re so rightful, did you know what you were punishing me for when I was young?"

Kazuya tried to unbalance his father still holding his feet but Heihachi quickly jumped and kicked him in the stomach with his other foot, freeing himself as he felt down on the mat while Kazuya tumbled away. Quickly getting up before Kazuya would come back, Heihachi said:

"You already were a little monster, doing mischiefs, never respecting anyone, destroying everything... Lee was a far better son than you have ever been. And yet he is still a failure, so that is saying much about you."

"Humpf. Maybe it’s you not able to be a good father?"

* * *

While watching the fight on television, Lee thought that Kazuya was not very aggressive... He was trying to but there seemed to be something holding him... Lee had seen Kazuya in some far more ferocious state than that before, mostly toward their father... Was Kazuya feeling sick or something? Despite having started with an aggressive attack, his offensive moves were weak... Yet Heihachi didn’t pull his punches... Their father really seemed in shape this time...

But despite Kazuya’s apparent lack of aggressive energy, it seemed their father still was afraid of his son’s dangerous powers since Lee noticed that Heihachi always remained far from Kazuya, never allowing him to approach too much, forbidding him to grab him and do his strange attack like last time... Lee still didn’t know what Kazuya had done but it was since that moment, when they both were close together that Heihachi suddenly backed away in pain and had that strange burned wound... Kazuya was so strange... He really had mysterious powers... Mysterious powers that could even scare their fearless father...

* * *

Indeed while fighting his son, Heihachi was really careful not to approach him too much...

Despite also having very strong grabs, Heihachi would now rather kick and punch his son to keep him at bay. He remembered very well how that attack could be painful and incapacitating... When Kazuya hit him with that beam last time, Heihachi had first thought he would die since the sudden pain was so atrocious. Then his whole chest kept hurting with every move he did, making it even hard to breathe... until he got beaten. He didn’t want to suffer that again... He wouldn’t lose again... If Kazuya wanted to use his Devil beam, he would have to use it in front of everyone and probably be branded as a monster and subdued for it if he did. Heihachi then told Kazuya as he tried to punch him:

"I may have been a bad father but you are an horrible monster. You had a chance to show that you could be someone decent while at the head of the Zaibatsu, to somehow prove me wrong and make me regret what I did but you missed it and showed the monster you really are! I know of all the appalling things you did while you were, and I mean were, head of the Zaibatsu, you did countless crimes and horrors that would make your beloved mother cry in shame and sadness! You proved that I was right by considering you a monster!"

Parrying the attack, Kazuya gazed at his father with hate and resentment but somehow with some shame as well. He knew his mother would not be proud... But he replied both with words and a kick attack:

"Humpf! Like you were so much better when you had the Zaibatsu!"

Backing away from the force of the kick, Heihachi replied with words and a kick attack as well:

"Yes, I was. Every crimes I did, I can justify it. But you, those human trafficking, those people you sold... Those people you killed... You had no reason apart from cruel enjoyment, apart from being a monster!"

Kazuya received the foot in his face and was sent in the ropes before he replied, still looking defiantly at his father, with hate in his eyes:

"And how do you justify killing my mother? What was your reason?"

Kazuya knew he may have made his mother sad but the one who hurt her the most was definitively Heihachi...

Heihachi stopped his offensive and gazed at Kazuya, a mix of anger, guilt and sadness in his eyes... He still loved Kazumi, so he wouldn’t say it was because she turned into a monster, the same monster he always hated his son for being as well... No, she got possessed by that monster and that monster possessed their son as well, Kazumi was always a kind person, she was not the monster... Somehow Heihachi was embarrassed: He could not say that Kazumi was a monster or even mention what happened, he would feel like dishonoring her name... He wanted Kazumi to remain the loving and kind-hearted woman he had known and loved... Talking about this would destroy that memory... Yet with what Kazumi told him just before she tried to kill him, that she married him just to kill him... Heihachi had some doubts... But it could not be... It must have been the creature talking, not Kazumi... That creature had killed Kazumi and it had also killed his son...

Because that ‘thing’ calling itself Kazuya was in no way his son. Kazuya was dead since a long time, when he got possessed by that Devil thing... For years, Heihachi had hesitated, wondering if something remained of Kazuya, sometimes having regrets over the beatings he just gave his son despite not showing it and sometimes being disgusted by that Devil child. All those years, he had dehumanized Kazuya to not feel that dilemma, becoming even more insensitive but he finally concluded that this ‘thing’ was in no way his son with the way it behaved now. Sadly, he probably had already killed what remained of his son Kazuya the first time he threw him down that cliff at five years old or the creature killed him before... But this devilish thing was definitively not his son... Now all those questions and dilemmas were over... He knew... But still he wouldn’t explain anything to Kazuya:

"I don’t have to justify anything to you."

Now having lost any feelings of tiredness, having regained his combativeness, Kazuya was totally furious and replied as he ran toward his father, trying to punch him with his electric fist:

"Because you can’t justify such a crime! You did the worst outrage to my mother by killing her! I may be a monster but you are as well! And you made me into that monster!"

Kazuya furiously punched his father in the face, before he quickly punched him again, never slowing down on his combo of punches, never allowing his father to parry before he finally punched Heihachi in the stomach. While his father bent down, having lost his breath, Kazuya tried to grab him, to once more do his beam attack and terminate him. He would show his father how much of a monster he was... But Heihachi, who now looked as wounded as his son, his mouth and nose bleeding, quickly pushed him away before he told him:

"So I forced you to go into human trafficking? To take children and experiment on them? I forced you to ally yourself with all those Yakuza, Mafia and Triads groups? To extort money, deal in drugs trafficking and support prostitution rings? I didn’t know I had such powers as to control you to do all those atrocities! Those murders... Most were done for your own pleasure, you had no real reasons... Those experiments you made on both animals and humans... At least, you stopped the animal ones... I was right to call the WWWC, it seems Jun Kazama succeeded in convincing you a bit..."

"Jun... You know her?"

Suddenly Kazuya felt betrayed, Heihachi called Jun by her name, not in a more impersonal way like the WWWC agent or something... Was Jun a spy of his father? After all, she came because of him... No, he was being paranoid... Yet he knew Heihachi had spies in the Zaibatsu... Why not that woman? After all, she worked for an organization that received money from the old man... and he had cut their funding when he came in power... The WWWC was better with Heihachi as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu...

Kazuya then thought he should never have trusted Jun, she only came to weaken him... And that night he wanted to kill Heihachi near the temple at Todoroki Valley, she was there to save the old man... She really was a spy... She never loved him... Just now, she still tried to stop him from killing his father... It wasn’t for him that she worried but for Heihachi... She only pretended to love him and he naively fell for it... And she wanted him to get rid of Devil, his only trustworthy ally... His most precious ally... Even Bruce and Anna were less trustworthy than Devil...

Now Kazuya felt heartbroken. But he wouldn’t show it, he wouldn’t give his father that pleasure... Yet it was hard to have all those emotions right now as he had to fight for his life, for his corporation... He had to get rid of all those emotions, except the hate and the anger... But sadness and disappointment had to wash away... quickly. There was no way he could postpone the match for another day, he had to finish it today and get rid of his father once and for all. He had to kill his father first... then he would allow himself to feel sad and troubled. Later. So he had to get rid of his emotions first.

Yet there was one good thing from all this; If Jun tried to stop him from confronting his father, it’s that she knew he could vanquish the old man, and he could, he already did it, so no need to fear him... Despite the example Heihachi made of Lee to scare him, it was his father who was fearing him, not the contrary... It was his father using tactics to weaken him... Kazuya thought he had survived the worst times when he was a child, when he was weaker and had nothing else but his pride and determination. He had survived his father’s many beatings and now he could fight back and vanquish him like last time. Even if last time had been really hard to do, he still could and this time he would kill Heihachi...

Kazuya felt slightly regretful for having lost his honor, trying to kill his father with the many murder attempts he ordered instead of only relying on that face-to-face confrontation. He hated to admit it but it had been so hard beating Heihachi last time that he got afraid of his father. He now had the means and the money to organize such murder attempts, so he took advantage of it but he still regretted to have lost his honor to it... He didn’t regret all the atrocities he did while at the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, many were useful, many were even fun, pleasing him or Devil or probably both, he wasn’t sure... He was indeed a monster, but he should not have lost his fighting honor... He would beat the old fool by himself, again... But Heihachi replied plainly about knowing Jun:

"Yes, of course."

"So she worked for you?"

"No. She worked for the WWWC, I just asked their help since I’m their friend... They always help me."

Heihachi knew that the one who was sent to talk to Kazuya about the bears was Jun Kazama but he didn’t know her very much. She was sometimes around when he came to give money to the organization and joked around with the employees, Jun laughed at some of his jokes but he never spoke directly to her. She seemed shy... Yet he knew that Kazuya had invited her to the mansion some times later, one of his faithful servant had told him sometimes ago... And he now noticed the slightly surprised expression Kazuya had when he mentioned her name... Somehow he did enjoy the trouble it seemed to cause Kazuya but he was also surprised: Was Kazuya really having feelings for her? Probably not, that Devil could not feel love, he would probably just hurt her... But still Kazuya did look troubled for a moment... probably for feeling betrayed or something... After some seconds, Kazuya had taken back his normally hateful and cold look and attacked Heihachi once more.

And they kept on fighting, using their most brutal and strong moves. Trying to hurt each other the most. Heihachi was happy of his distracting move but he thought he had to vanquish his son first and foremost, not talk forever... Words were good to hurt someone but fists were far more efficient to finish the job...

Despite having taken back his insensible attitude, Kazuya was still troubled. Still distracted by his doubts over Jun, not able to push it aside, Kazuya knew he was now not fighting at his full potential. And his completely full potential would be if he could use Devil’s power... Kazuya knew he would be far more powerful if he could change to his Devil form but the crowd would kill him... Looking around, Kazuya gazed at the thousand spectators cheering over the fight, he could not reveal his true nature, the Mishima guards would fire at him without mercy... Yet if he could grab his father and the guards could kill Heihachi as well as they shot at him, Kazuya didn’t really mind dying if the old man died with him... But he wasn’t sure they would hit the old man, those guards were very well trained, they had very lethal guns and they would be able to aim at him only... He could try to use the old man as a shield but it probably wouldn’t work... Heihachi wouldn’t cover every sides... Beside the old man had proven very hard to grab since he always pushed Kazuya away...

In his mind, Devil was telling him to rely on hate and anger but with his doubts about Jun’s love, Kazuya was unable to push those motivating emotions forward. He tried telling himself that he just chased Jun away, so that she loved him or not didn’t make much difference, he shouldn’t care... Maybe it was because she mocked him and lied to him? But he felt so good with her, so serene... She probably was sincere with him... maybe. Devil brought him back to the fight again, ordering him to rely on his hate and anger once more.

But Heihachi was far stronger, after having felt troubled by the Kazumi mention, he had quickly tossed those emotions away. With his years of ‘training’ in pushing all feelings aside, he was far better than any of his sons to not let himself be weakened by emotions. A fight is about who’s left standing. Nothing else. Nothing else mattered now but winning...

Kazuya may often look insensible and cold but he was almost always boiling with emotions inside, mostly anger and hate but still he couldn’t really repress them, only hide them. All his childhood when he tried to look unaffected, trying to push away his sadness and despair, he was only letting his anger and hate grow inside of him... When he got control of the Zaibatsu and felt free to indulge in whatever action he wished, his cruelty grew even more than before and he didn’t really control any of his evil instincts, only his attitude, trying to look dignified while doing so but still guided by his emotions and whims.

Now that Heihachi was keeping his concentration all focused into the fight and that Kazuya was still troubled by his emotions and not able to focus entirely, not even on the anger and hate that helped him win the last fight, the old man seemed to overpower his son again. As he got sent on the ropes from a strong combo of kicks and punches, Kazuya began to curse his father:

"Damn you! Damn you, monster!"

"You’re the damned monster around here!" said Heihachi as he punched his son with a violent uppercut, sending Kazuya tumbling down on the ring. Having suffered many powerful hits, Kazuya was now somehow looking destabilized like Heihachi was in their last fight. Now it was Heihachi looking confident and victorious as Kazuya tried to protect himself from his father’s unrelenting attacks, unable to get a chance to be offensive himself. As he kept hitting his son, brutally kicking him in the stomach, Heihachi told Kazuya:

"It’s over. You’ve done enough, I get the Mishima Zaibatsu back."

* * *

As he lied down on his bed, looking at the fight on T.V., Lee noticed that the beating Heihachi was giving Kazuya was still more horrible than what he had received. As always... Heihachi told him he would get the same as Kazuya but despite now being incapacitated in a bed, Lee was glad he didn’t get what Kazuya was having right now... Lee thought that it was so horrible that it shouldn’t have been shown on T.V... All that blood on the stage... He felt as distressed as when Heihachi was beating Kazuya when they were young...

* * *

Someone else was also looking with horror at the slaughter on a screen. After being stopped by the guards when she tried to go after Kazuya, Jun Kazama had been thrown out of the restricted contestants area and had come back by the arena’s main doors to go to the stage area. Unable to move forward with all the rude spectators pushing her around, never giving her a chance to move forward, she was reduced to see the fight on one of the large screens installed around the arena.

As her lover got beaten, unlike all around her who yelled in excitement or wished Kazuya’s death or at least a severe beating, she cried for him. Yet she understood how people could see that he was evil... Kazuya had begun to have a bad reputation around Japan, he was feared and hated by many... She knew he still had good in him but he had let that entity take control of his life and that good had now diminished to almost nothing... He spared her near the temple and tried to not hurt her now so he still had some but she almost couldn’t feel anything else good in him... Yet she cried for him, for what he was and what he sadly became... For how he ended...

She knew she wouldn’t be able to pass security or that giant crowd to help him, so she left as Kazuya was being savagely beaten, not wanting to see the foreseeable end... She didn’t really know what Heihachi would do to Kazuya but she could do nothing... She had enough of all this, her child would now need calm and serenity, away from those violence and hate... Away from that curse... Saving Kazuya was hopeless, she now had to use her exorcism knowledge to protect her child so that he wouldn’t end up like his father...

* * *

After witnessing Kazuya’s horrible defeat, Lee now feared his father’s wrath. He had a really bad feeling... He needed to go now. He needed to flee the hospital. He tried to call a nurse so that she would take him out. He needed crutches, a wheelchair, anything, but he had to leave! But the nurse told him:

"But Lee-sama, it would be foolish to leave the hospital now... You need to rest and get better."

"I won’t get better if I stay here."

"Yes, you will. The doctor has not even seen you since you woke up. Please, calm down... Do you need more painkillers?"

"No, I need to get out!"

"No. I’m sorry, please, sleep. I’ll go look for something to help you sleep..."

And she went away.

Lee then tried to calm down. The nurse was probably right, his father may be angry at him but will probably wait that he leaves the hospital before punishing him... He would most likely now be busy with probably really killing Kazuya, if Kazuya didn’t die from those horrible wounds... Beside, maybe his father judged he already punished him enough? Or decided to ignore him? When he was young, he was often ignored while Heihachi was too busy mistreating Kazuya... Yet having seen Kazuya’s beat up and remembering his own, Lee knew Heihachi was really furious, against both of them, and he truly feared his adoptive father... But what could he do anyway? With his plaster casts, he couldn’t walk or even get out of the bed... He couldn’t flee by himself...


	35. Game Over

Some hours later, Lee who was now asleep, suddenly woke up as he heard many people walking in the corridor, seemingly coming toward his room and talking together. One voice among them suddenly terrified him: It was Heihachi’s voice. Suddenly fully awoken, Lee watched with some fear as Heihachi came into his room with some henchmen. The older man had really regained control of the Mishima Zaibatsu and he was all dressed like the businessman he was while Lee also recognized the many men accompanying him to be Mishima Zaibatsu executives. Heihachi had a bouquet of roses in his hand and a get well card tied to it and carelessly threw them at Lee.

"See? Unlike you, I came. I know how to be polite. Even toward you."

Lee would have preferred if his father didn’t come in fact... He feared what Heihachi had in mind... Seeing by the reproach that Heihachi addressed him, it probably wasn’t to tell him that he forgave him that he came, Lee knew Heihachi wanted to make him pay... He gazed fearfully at his father without a word. Heihachi then told him on an insensitive tone:

"It’s time to get your punishment like Kazuya. Come with me. But first, dress yourself."

Some executive assistant respectfully handed some clothes to Heihachi who then carelessly again threw them on Lee’s face. A simple t-shirt and pants. Despite the flagrant lack of respect toward him, Lee didn’t dare protest more than putting on a frown and with some help from one of his father’s henchman, he removed the solute machine connected to him and began to dress up. His plaster cast over his leg gave him some problem since he couldn’t bend his leg or even slide the lower part of the pants, but the henchman helped him by ripping alongside the lower and tighter part of the pant leg with his knife, then helped Lee put them on.

Then another henchman gave Lee some crutches since Lee couldn’t already walk alone. Not reassured at all by the events, Lee thought about using those to hit the henchmen and flee but he really was not in shape... He couldn’t even get out of bed alone, he had to forget fighting his way out of this... He would never escape using the violent way... Heihachi seemed calm, so maybe he could try to talk his way out of this... Yet his father seemed calm in a very disturbing way and seemed to already have an idea for him... After all, revenge was a dish best served cold... Lee knew his father... He thought he was good sometimes to talk his way or convince people but never with his father... He always felt stupid, nervous and clumsy with him... And actually, he felt quite scared... ‘Punishment like Kazuya...’ What did it mean? Really the same thing as Kazuya?

Two henchmen then grabbed him to help him get out of the bed and took him away from the hospital room, leaving the flowers there and not really letting him walk alone with the crutches but mostly forcefully dragging him along. Despite Lee’s slightly distressed expression, nobody did anything, no nurse, doctor or security guard came to his help or asked anything. They probably knew Heihachi was his father, or simply knew Heihachi was Heihachi Mishima. You never oppose Heihachi Mishima... Instead of going out by the front door, Lee was brought on the roof of the hospital where an helicopter was waiting.

But as he was brought inside the helicopter, Lee noticed that Kazuya was also there, lying down on the floor in a pool of blood, unconscious and severely wounded, with eight armed Mishima guards around him. Ignoring both his sons, Heihachi went at the front of the helicopter and didn’t address Lee who kept staring at Kazuya... Soaking in his own blood, Kazuya was so messed up that Lee wondered with some horror if his adoptive brother was already dead. Looking at his brother attentively, Lee noticed that Kazuya seemed to still be breathing, but it was quite irregular and seemingly done with pain. Maybe he was dying?

Seeing Kazuya in such a weak state, made Lee remember all those times he had to witness when Heihachi had just beaten Kazuya when they were young and he didn’t know what he felt once more. His brother had been so ruthless lately, he was a dangerous and heartless criminal, he somehow deserved to be punished... Yet he was now looking so pitiful... But he indeed deserved to pay... With all he did... The people he killed, those he sold and enslaved, those he probably experimented on... Those he threatened... He was really evil... But still...

So it was like before, Lee somehow pitied Kazuya while also resenting him. Like every time Lee was resenting his brother for having bullied him when Kazuya was punished by their father. When they were young, Lee feared their father, so never did anything but also often felt angry at Kazuya who had acted cruelly toward him so he didn’t really want to protect him either... Why couldn’t Kazuya make himself more likeable? It seemed like he didn’t want people to like him, one day he was okay but the next, he was so scornful and insulting... even cruel. Almost fearing someone could like him...

Only a few really liked him, like Bruce and Anna... He was acting decently with them but not toward any others, neither with Lee nor with Jun... Yet Lee remembered how Kazuya first seemed to have loved Jun with her phone number written in his diary, the special attentions, with how Jun tried to help him and kept saying he was good... She saw something in him... But he had to break her heart... Maybe because Bruce and Anna never contradicted him while both Lee and Jun did and Kazuya didn’t accept to be disobeyed... Kazuya could reward well those he deemed obedient but he was always the master... He very often acted like he was the only heir of the distinguished Mishima family... The one and only heir, the true lord of the place... and that, since he was a child... Lee remembered all those times when Kazuya tried to put him down, trying to make him feel like a lowborn intruder, not good enough for the illustrious Mishima family... In fact, despite sometimes getting along, mostly when Kazuya had something to get from him, Kazuya never accepted him... Why did he always have to act like a bully or a monster? Probably because he was... This possession or curse, if it was true, turned him into such an evil monster...

But Lee only sat on the helicopter bench and didn’t dare talk or lean toward his brother, acting once more like before, when they were young, and doing nothing. Beside, the guards were really threatening with their guns and Lee thought he wouldn’t be able to fight them, with the injuries he had...

As the helicopter began to lift off, Lee then thought they were both going to get executed. Like gangsters... A settling of scores... Heihachi was certainly not bringing them back home... The ambiance did have an eerie feeling of death or something... Maybe because of Kazuya lying down in his pool of blood just beside him but still, no one was saying a word... Then, after a while, Kazuya seemed to wake up. He barely opened his eyes and began to moan something when a Mishima guard quickly slammed his rifle butt on his head, knocking Kazuya out once more and traumatizing Lee even more.

Surprisingly after some silent hours where no one was speaking, the helicopter landed on the side of a volcano. Lee wondered: Would they be shot here and thrown into the volcano to leave no traces? With the state they were in, they didn’t even need to be shot first... They could easily be pushed and thrown in it... Heihachi then came toward them and kneeling down, he picked Kazuya’s almost lifeless body in his arms. Heihachi’s gaze seemed very harsh, not even one small bit of love toward his son could be seen. Staring at the two men without a word at first, Lee then dared ask his adoptive father:

"... What will you do...?"

Then turning toward him, seemingly not having understood what Lee asked (it was true that Lee didn’t dare ask in a too loud voice somehow fearing to get noticed, like when he was a child), Heihachi told him on an insensitive tone with his constant harsh gaze:

"Wait here. I’ll be back."

Like the obedient son he was before, Lee said nothing more as his father turned away from him and left the helicopter with the unconscious Kazuya in his arms. Somehow he was speechless again, he didn’t dare speak anymore and didn’t know what he could say that could help... What was Heihachi going to do with Kazuya? Nothing good, probably... He was really going to kill him...

Yet despite knowing what fate awaited Kazuya, Lee would do nothing. Anyway, what could he do? And he knew he sometimes thought himself about killing Kazuya when his brother was too cruel and intolerable... Never seriously to the point of really doing it but Kazuya somehow deserved it... With all the people he hurt... With all the horrible crimes he did, he somehow deserved the punishment Heihachi had for him... Lee thought he may have been the next that Kazuya would have hurt, with Kazuya’s cruel behaviour, he never knew... Yet Kazuya didn’t seem too harsh on him, mostly scornful and insulting but he did kill a lot of other people, he did allow many crime rings to grow under his protection... Kazuya had really become a crime boss himself and he may have decided to kill him as well, mostly after the Tournament since Lee had dared oppose him... So somehow despite pitying Kazuya, Lee wouldn’t really cry for him...

Lee thought that he should not care too much about Kazuya but he should think about his own fate... Yet despite the fact that Kazuya deserved it, Lee felt a little guilty: That was what he always did when Heihachi was beating Kazuya... Think about himself, fear for himself... and not do anything to help Kazuya to not anger their father any more... But this time, he couldn’t run to his bedroom or to his friends to forget it all, he was stuck witnessing the death of his brother, he was stuck suffering whatever fate his adoptive father had for him... He couldn’t escape this time... He was even torn between wanting to escape and wanting to get it over with... He knew nothing good awaited him either...

He then thought about what Heihachi said: _Wait here, I’ll be back..._ Was that some kind of stupid joke again? Of course, he would wait here, he had no choice! That damn Heihachi really liked to have them under his thumb, to have power over them! Yet he knew the whole thing was no joke, it seemed deeply serious... He and Kazuya would die today...

Lee gazed at the guards: All eight were armed with assault rifles. Even if, despite his injuries, he successfully knocked out one of them, the others would quickly react and he wouldn’t even be able to avoid them since he couldn’t walk without crutches... He knew how to drive an helicopter since he learned it when he lived in the United States but he wouldn’t even be able to reach the controls and flee before being shot to death... Yet it would have been satisfying to go away with the helicopter and leave his adoptive father on the side of the volcano... Yet any violent solution had to be pushed aside, he had to use persuasion but what could he say to convince those guards? Heihachi probably chose them among his most loyal and they would probably only slam their rifle butt on his face if he tried talking to them... He had to convince his father... and that was probably impossible as well...

Then after a while, Heihachi came back. Empty-handed. Kazuya was nowhere to be seen. He was dead, Heihachi probably threw him in that volcano, thought Lee who then thought that it was now his turn.

Lee knew that he couldn’t do anything. Somehow the fear he felt at first went away now that he was facing death. If he had to die in that volcano, he would die with dignity, not crawl at his father’s feet and cry. He didn’t find what he could tell his father to convince him to let him go but he probably couldn’t say anything anyway... Any attempt to be spared would be seen as cowardice by his father... And he wouldn’t humiliate himself begging for his life, he would never again be humiliated by that man... Even if he had to die for it...

"Are you afraid?" asked Heihachi to his adoptive son, a small mocking smile over his face.

"No", simply answered the silver-haired man on a calm tone, as he gazed toward the crater where Kazuya probably fell.

He was simply sad for how it ended but if he had to look at his life, he thought he had many good things in it. He had a crazy family, they often hurt him and he often felt sad in that Mishima mansion, in his relations with his adoptive father and brother but technically, it could have been far worse. He had a good life in fact; he had expensive clothes, sport cars, friends, prestige... Not as much as he had wished by becoming head of the Mishima Zaibatsu but somehow Heihachi was right, he did give him a lot... With conditions, there was a price to pay, but still... Anyway, all this was now irrelevant. If he had to die now, he mostly had no regrets, except maybe to have let Heihachi and Kazuya do their corrupt actions and to have participated in them... Okay, he did have regrets but he had no fears, he was ready to die.

He did wonder if Wang would be okay since he helped him try to overthrow both the Mishimas yet Wang mostly helped him against Kazuya and had done nothing against Heihachi, so he probably would be alright... Lee also wondered if Michelle and her mother really safely made it back home... Probably... And he hoped they would be fine even if it now was Heihachi at the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu... He also wondered if Anna was back from her mission against her sister... She would have to hide from Heihachi, she would probably be considered an ally of Kazuya... He wondered where were Marshall and Paul living now and if Forest had everything he needed for his school... If Jun was alright, she just lost her lover who had probably beaten her or something that day she tried to exorcise him... He wondered about many of his friends but he would never know any of this...

Yet Lee still wondered about something that he wanted to know before he would die and asked his father:

"... You killed Kazuya?"

"Yes, I killed him. This time, for good."

"... Why? ...You never told me why you hated Kazuya that much... It’s not just because of that overthrow, you hated him since so long..."

Lee had suspicions anyway, with that Mishima curse... Kazuya’s strange powers... Jun and Wang’s explanations... That supernatural story... But Lee was eager to hear the truth from his father, from someone who lived it, who was involved in it and to know more about the Mishima curse and what happened... That Devil possession and all... But Heihachi simply told him:

"You never won the Tournament. I told you I’d tell you only then."

Heihachi then added:

"But I’ll tell you something else. You told me a little while ago that I should’ve shown you that I cared for you. But I couldn’t, since I never really cared for you. And I never fully trusted you either. Long ago, before I adopted you, I had decided to never give my love or trust to any humans again. Humans are too deceitful and undependable. Even those we love deeply can turn on us. Willingly or unwillingly."

Heihachi still wondered about Kazumi... Was it her Devil side that made her say what she told him... That she never loved him and married only to kill him? He hoped it wasn’t her saying that... Kazumi was not like that... She was kind... She wouldn’t have had a baby with him if she didn’t love him... But then that baby turned out to be a monster as well... That Devil killed both his wife and son... Pushing those thoughts aside, he then continued to speak:

"Animals are trustworthy. They will love and remain loyal all their life. They have no hidden agenda. That’s why I always favored Kuma over anyone. But for your information, it’s not you, Lee, it’s not you personally. Before you betrayed me, I had nothing against you, it’s just how I feel toward people in general. Humans are stupid and evil. They need someone strong to force them to stop warring among themselves, to force peace. They cause chaos and so much destruction so easily... Sometimes to stop someone from being violent and evil, you have to be even more violent and evil than them. But whatever, it doesn’t concern you anymore, you don’t have to know all this. Just know that I adopted you to be a rival for Kazuya only, not for some need to have another son. So without Kazuya, I don’t need you anymore. Mostly now that you betrayed me."

Heihachi thought that maybe if he didn’t start by seeing Lee as only a tool to make Kazuya angry and had tried to see him as a son, he may have liked him and even respected him more. But as he said, he could not trust humans anymore. He had begun to see Lee not too seriously, as some kind of comic relief, even considering him with some contempt, so he really took the habit to treat his adoptive son with disregard. Once you see and treat someone with contempt and indifference, they somehow become worthless, you see them as worthless and just don’t care. Heihachi had somehow dehumanized Lee, the same way he had dehumanized Kazuya by treating him like a monster. Lee was not a Devil or a monster, he was just nothing to Heihachi. If he had more heart, he could regret it, yet despite knowing it, Heihachi mostly didn’t care. As he said, he couldn’t like another human anymore.

Overwhelmed by all that happened, not because he would die but because of all the events and mostly by the fact Heihachi really told him he was and had always been nothing to him, while Lee had tried to be something to him for years, Lee got a little emotional, tears formed in his eyes as he tried to look insensible in front of his father who continued speaking:

"But maybe I did like you a bit..."

Suddenly noticing Lee’s wet eyes, Heihachi slapped him behind the head.

"Stop crying! I told you I don’t like weaklings."

"... It’s the volcano, hurts my eyes..." mumbled Lee as his father went on:

"Fine. Let’s leave. We have nothing more to do here anyway."

Lee looked at his father with some surprise.

"You’re not killing me?"

But Heihachi simply answered:

"What makes you think that I would kill you?"

Heihachi left Lee to go in front of the helicopter with the pilot again and some moments later, the helicopter left Kazuya’s final resting place. After a while, the helicopter arrived at the airport where Heihachi took Lee to a private jet and told him as they walked toward it:

"You said that I didn’t show you enough affection but now I do. I wouldn’t do the same for anyone else. Any other who would have done what you did would have had a bullet in the head. I won’t kill you. I should but I won’t. But I will if you dare come back in Japan again, ingrate kid, or if I see you anywhere ever again, if we cross path anywhere, I’m putting a bullet in your little silver-haired head. Understood?"

"Yes, Mishima-sama."

Once on the jet, Lee sat where Heihachi told him to and didn’t say a word for the whole trip as Heihachi sat not far behind, ignoring Lee and looking once more at business papers or on his laptop, on all that he had missed out when he wasn’t in control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Traumatized by what just happened, Lee kept having the vision of that volcano and the half dead Kazuya bleeding on the helicopter floor... He would have liked to ask more questions to his father about that curse or his own fate but he just didn’t know what to say or how to address him anymore. He kept silent, wondering what his father wanted to do with him, he knew he was somehow exiled but wondered where he was being taken to. Well, he had some idea in fact...

Two hours and a half later, they stopped at another airport and took a limousine. As most of the journey, Lee didn’t dare ask anything or say one word. He didn’t even dare to look toward his father. They rolled for a while until the limousine stopped. Heihachi then asked Lee:

"Remember the place?"

Looking by the window, Lee vaguely recognized the place... Just as he had thought... Yet it wasn’t a restaurant anymore but a shop. He wasn’t surprised to be brought here, Heihachi had told him he would send him back in those streets... As Lee barely nodded, Heihachi continued speaking:

"I picked you here, I’m bringing you back here since you’re not my son anymore. Let’s just pretend those last sixteen years never happened and go back to your previous life. There is no dumpster anymore but I guess you’ll survive."

Searching in his pocket, Heihachi then handed some money to Lee.

"Here’s 120 yuan (about 20 dollars US). Buy some food with it."

Lee gazed at the money with some resentment. His father, or ex-adoptive father, was treating him like a beggar... Mostly like Kazuya and him have always seen him... Yet he could not refuse the money... He needed it now... Aside from his crutches and his plaster casts, he had nothing. No phone, no wallet, no money, no credit card... Not even an I.D. card... He needed that money. So feeling humiliated and insulted, Lee took the money without a word or a thanks. Not even a look toward his father.

"Now get out", said his ex-adoptive father on an imperative tone as the chauffeur opened the door.

With one arm in plaster cast and one leg not bending because of his plaster cast as well, Lee clumsily got out with his crutches and then the limousine left, leaving Lee alone in the street with his plaster casts and crutches. And nothing else but the yuan dollar bill.


	36. On the streets again

Standing on his crutches, Lee pitifully stared at the limousine getting away, leaving him alone on the side of the street.

Once the vehicle left his sight, still shaken by all that happened so fast, Lee tried to pull himself together. He had to do something, not let himself fall into depression again. What should he do first? First he had to make phones calls to secure his money. So, noticing a phone booth a little further, he walked with his crutches over there. Once in front of the phone, he remembered he needed some change.

"Oh, drat..."

So he got out of the phone booth and walked to the nearest shop selling some small snack. Having bought the cheapest snack, he went back to the phone booth with his change and called his landlord. Then after calling his landlord, Lee called some friend in Japan. Those long distance calls will cost a lot of change... But they had to be done...

"Hello?" said a feminine voice.

"I’m sorry, Seiko, but it’s me, Chaolan. I cannot speak for very long but can you do me a favor? I called my landlord and told him a friend of mine would come to pick some things at my apartment and asked him to let that friend in. I would need you to take all my computer CDs and flashdrives out of there. And then mail those to Arizona."

"Arizona? Why?"

"I’m actually unable to come back in Japan, for a while."

"You’re not in Japan? You’re in Arizona? How come? You were at the hospital just yesterday... I came to see you in the morning, you were still in a coma..."

"Yes, but I woke up and my father threw me out of the country. I’m actually in China now."

"... He’s in furious mode, right? I saw you at the Tournament... It was horrible... And why Arizona then?"

"I’m fine now, don’t worry. But yes, he’s completely furious. I can’t come back in Japan or he’ll kill me. Literally. But I really need my CDs and flashdrives, they are part of my robotic researches and I cannot leave them but my father will certainly come at my apartment and take everything away soon. I have a friend in Arizona, so right now, I have no address of mine but at least my stuff would probably be safe. I need you to get it out of the country as soon as you can before my father confiscates everything or throws it in the trash."

"Is it dangerous for me to go take it? I mean, your father is really dangerous..."

Lee felt the fear in his friend’s voice. She was right to fear Heihachi Mishima, any person in their right mind would. But he knew that his father didn’t know about those CDs and flashdrives, so he probably wouldn’t look for them... Then probably wouldn’t try to hurt his friend for taking worthless things... Well, worthless things meaning probably his giant T.V. and stereo system, his computer, the many works of art he had... Lots of things not really worthless but not as important as his robotic researches yet credible enough to believe that his friend came to take them... Once those flashdrives and CDs safely out of the country, Heihachi would never find out about their worth since he wouldn’t even find out about their existence. But those CDs and flashdrives were worth millions... The Mishima Zaibatsu never expanded the robotics side of their production as much as Lee would have wished, Heihachi or Kazuya never seemed to have put enough importance on robotics, never produced other Jacks than Prototype, yet it could be profitable... And Lee also had other things on his flashdrives... Some of those also contained some evidences against the Mishima Zaibatsu, evidences obtained when Lee began to get information about Kazuya’s corrupted business deals, about his many crimes, so they may have some worth as well...

"Ah... Well, he doesn’t know I have those things, so pretend you went for something else if anybody ask... I don’t think he would go after you for nothing... He’s furious at me, he can be very cruel but he would not hurt you for taking things at my apartment. He’s not that crazy. Take anything you wish from my apartment, I only need my CDs and flashdrives. The rest will go to waste if you don’t take it. They are in a small violet box beside my computer. Easy to see. If you don’t want to do it, it’s okay. I’ll try to call someone else."

"No, it’s okay, I’ll do it... I won’t let you down, Chaolan."

Seiko had always been a good friend of Lee since high school, one of his most trustworthy ones, he had always kept contact with her even when he was in the United States. Except when he became Kazuya’s secretary and hid from most of his friends in shame. But he did invite her at his last party when he decided to not hide anymore.

"Excellent, you’re saving my life, Seiko."

"And I mail those things to...?"

And Lee told her Michelle Chang’s address. Paul had no real address and Marshall often moved, last time they talked, he was apparently living in New York, so Lee didn’t really know their actual address. Besides, he honestly didn’t really trust Marshall or Paul... They were friends but... he knew about some of their illegal cons... Marshall did try to gain money in some shady ways sometimes... Not the worst ones, he never went into real crime, only small things to make ends meet but still Lee didn’t think they were completely reliable... They may sell his stuff to get money and tell him they never received it... Maybe not, maybe he was judging them too harshly but... he still didn’t know where they were anyway. As he had learned from Wang, Michelle seemed to live at the same place she was living before, he still remembered the address and she somehow owed him, so... She would probably be reliable to keep his stuff until he would travel to the United States. He knew her less but trusted her more. And if Heihachi would want to give her trouble again, he probably wouldn’t do it already. He was probably too busy taking care of the damage Kazuya did to the Zaibatsu and Lee would have time to go take his box and to warn Michelle to be careful.

Now that he had made the arrangements for his stuff, he had to take his money back... He had to call the bank and tell them he lost all his I.D. cards and needed to have access to his money... He quickly looked for his bank’s branch in Shanghai and called them. He needed to get his hands on his account...

After he called, without much surprise, he learned that his normal account, where his last paycheck had been deposited, had been closed by his father who had power over it. The Mishima Zaibatsu had so much power, mostly in finances, they could do whatever they wished with their employees, mostly him since his father was somehow his caretaker even if Lee was now of age. Heihachi had all powers over his sons and knew how to reclaim control over their financial account very quickly.

"Humpf! The old fool has taken all my money... Well, he thinks he did... He wants me to rely on the few money he gave me and he’s probably now giving me a bad reputation in the business world so that no one would hire me... As he told me he would do... But he can’t destroy everything..."

Having foreseen something like this could happen, Lee had opened a new account in a Swiss bank sometimes ago where he had made some investments in that new company, the G-Corporation and no one at the Mishima Zaibatsu knew anything about it. He talked about it to no one. That corporation will surely bring him much money and even if it was invested and not supposed or even permitted to be taken out already, maybe he could take some money from that account, not much since he mostly relied on what G-Corporation would give him in some months or years and if he took it all out now, he wouldn’t get anything but he probably could still take some money or at least ask them a loan that he would repay with that money... So if his adoptive father tried to put him back in the streets, he failed...

Yet he still didn’t have any I.D.s or anything, he had not foreseen that he would be abandoned in the street with nothing... His cards and wallet were probably still at the hospital, in the Mishima arena locker room or now in his father’s possession. But he remembered the Swiss bank’s phone number and after calling them, they agreed to send a representative to meet him to confirm his identity and discuss his current account and investments. They said they would send the responsible who knew him and who opened his account, they had met in person, so he would recognize him, even if Lee was slightly ashamed of his still half-tumefied face... Heihachi really didn’t pull his punches... or kicks or whatever, Lee didn’t remember what he received in the face and would rather forget that fight...

But worries about his appearance put apart, Lee also worried if they would recognize and authenticate him or not and if they would also accept for him to use that invested money or even get a loan... Lee also began to worry if he had left anything about his secret account at home where Heihachi would find out about it and somehow be able to close that account as well... The old man had so much power in the financial world... But Lee would only know all this in nine days, since it was in nine days that he had to meet the executive in some Downtown Shanghai hotel quite far from the impoverished area he was actually in. Lee thought that he wouldn’t be able to call a taxi to get there since he had not much money on him and would have to walk all the way there. Which meant it would probably take some hours to get there, many hours in fact... mostly with his crutches. Despite Shanghai being his native city, he didn’t know the place very much and didn’t want to get lost anywhere in the city... As a child, he always remained in his poor neighbourhood, sometimes getting a little farther to steal from shops and pick dumpsters like here, where there was a little more wealth but he never went very far... He knew the general direction of the district that hotel was in but he will have to ask his way to get there... But since it would take many days before that Swiss bank executive could come, being done with his phone calls and having not enough money for any other long distance call anyway, Lee wondered what to do now.

Maybe he should go to the hospital... He was still wounded and had to recuperate... But he didn’t know either where the hospital was and like for the bank, would the hospital ask him for I.D. papers? He didn’t know how the health system worked in China but he would probably have to show some I.D. or money to get some cares and he had none of those...

Lee feared to try to ask for his I.D. papers, he probably would have to go to the Japanese embassy now that he was a Japanese citizen but like the hospital, he didn’t know where it was and he feared that since he somehow entered the country illegally, they would send him back to Japan where Heihachi would kill him... If the bank executive could recognize him and agree to provide him some money, a good part of his problems would be over... He would just pay to get his I.D. cards back and bribe officials if he had to... Money could buy a lot... Lee believed in the power of money since Heihachi had taught him everything could be done with the power of the almighty money. He would not be as rich as he would have been with the Mishima Zaibatsu but he did save about six thousand dollars since he began investing (he would have saved much more if he had not always spent his money as soon as he got it. His father was probably right when he said he was a big spender... Yet money was made to be spent, not to be cheap beyond needs...). He was not supposed to touch that money but he now needed to.

As the night was about to fall, Lee still wondered what he would do and mostly where he would sleep. He didn’t have money to rent a room... But to sleep in some backstreet would be disgusting and uncomfortable. And dangerous. But would someone attack him? He didn’t look richer than anyone around... and he was quite muscular, so maybe they wouldn’t want to attack him yet he looked weaker with his injuries... Maybe some stupid guys would try to provoke him to get some fight and feel strong... He wasn’t in shape to fight off any thugs, he already looked like he had been beaten by them... He knew some safe places where he used to sleep as a kid but those involved climbing and being small, which he was not or could not do right now. Yet he told himself once more: People would attack him for what? Only if they were looking for someone to hurt because he really seemed to have nothing... Unless they recognized him as the son of the Mishima Zaibatsu CEO and, not knowing what happened, wanted to get some ransom or something... But they would be disappointed, Heihachi wouldn’t give even a single Yen for him... But probably no one would think that this guy, sleeping in the backstreet, was some CEO’s son... And even with his plaster cast, Lee thought he probably could make any aggressive person go away... Just a plaster cast kick in the face or a good punch with his uninjured arm and they would leave... Lee thought that there were far less dangers threatening him in those streets than when he was a child.

So he probably had nothing to fear by sleeping outside, aside from the police, who could find him suspicious and put him in prison or worse, send him back to Japan, and shame. Shame... Yes, that was what Heihachi wanted him to feel... He wanted him to live miserably, to beg and to be humiliated... Yet he only had nine days to live like this... But it was still embarrassing... He still had no place to live for those nine days... Nevertheless, the best solution was probably to buy some food with the remaining few money and go hide into some discreet place for the time until the bank executive came... Very early in the morning, before the executive would come, Lee would start walking toward the hotel because if he went over there too soon, the rich people would complain about him hanging around and they would call the police... He wouldn’t beg or annoy them but if someone finds him sleeping in some alley, he’ll surely scare or disgust the rich and he didn’t want to be in jail or chased away when the executive would come. He could also be recognized by some business acquaintance and he would die of shame if that was the case. Maybe he could met a friendly acquaintance and only be embarrassed but maybe helped but he also could met people who didn’t like him and who would mock him over his fall... The two things he feared most, police and shame would most likely happen in that richer area... He had to remain anonymous as much as possible and not get noticed until then. So Lee did that: With his remaining money, he bought the cheapest food he could that would last him for the longest time and tried to find a quiet and discreet place to sleep.

Walking in the impoverished part of the district where he grew up, as he was going toward some discreet place he knew as a kid and that he thought could be a not too bad place for the nine days, Lee slightly felt sad to not recognize many things: Many houses and buildings had changed, the park where he was going with his grandmother to play with his kite was no more... Everything looked so unfamiliar... He knew no one and no one seemed to recognize him but this was somehow a good thing since he was really ashamed of his situation and would rather remain anonymous even here...

Destiny could change so fast: Not long ago, he was the crown prince of the Mishima Zaibatsu and now he was some (hopefully temporary) homeless guy...

Among other homeless people... Since he had left his native China, Lee had always been around more high-class areas and swanky neighbourhoods. He didn’t really spend time in poor districts... He did see some beggars in San Francisco when he was working and studying there, even gave them money, but he somehow was more insensitive since he wasn’t seeing them for very long and not going around those poorer areas for very long periods of time, sometimes eating at the restaurant around or dancing at some discotheque but he didn’t really immerse himself in San Francisco’s poverty... He mostly worked and lived in the business district or studied business at the University of San Francisco, leaving those areas only to visit friends and go out to party.

He wasn’t insensitive because, like Heihachi who gave to his favorite causes, the animal protection causes (despite also giving to many others to give the Mishima Zaibatsu a good reputation), like Kazuya who had somehow chosen the bullied children cause (even if Bruce had to twist his arm first though...), Lee had a favorite cause and was mostly concerned by the anti-poverty causes. He was often giving money to organizations helping poor people. In fact, since he had experienced poverty when he was a child, he was more sensitive but also did not want to remember those times, he did not want anyone to know he had lived that life... So he was helping fight poverty but he was also avoiding poverty. Now he was forced to live it again... And now seeing some poor kids begging some man near him, made him feel really sad for them. If he still had money, he would give them some... But he had some food... Those small snacks he had bought to eat for the time until his banker would come... He might as well help those poor kids... So he told the four kids not far:

"Hey, hàizimen! (children)"

The children turned toward him, now looking at him. They were begging but didn’t really think about asking that guy who seemed in pretty bad shape, like if he just had an encounter with a full speed truck... But Lee showed them his small bag of food and offered it to them. Sadly, he really had no change left to give them since he had haggled to get the more of the food he now had.

" Xièxiè ", said the kids as they took the bag and began rummaging through it.

Noticing they seemed to share the food fairly among them and were not fighting over it like it happened a lot of times when he was young, Lee left. He knew he would need that food later but whatever. He would find a way... He only had to live for some days in the streets, unlike those poor kids...

Still going around the impoverished district, Lee suddenly stopped on the corner of a street: It was where his own apartment was before it burned down with the fire that killed his family. The place was not recognizable at all which was normal yet it pained him to remember the tragedy and the loss of his family... But it was so far away, he didn’t even remember their faces... He only remembered that his paternal grandmother and aunt, who came from some more rural area, had come here not long before the fire, once his father, who also came from that rural area before he met Lee’s mother in Shanghai, got enough money to bring them here. And he mostly remembered his mother and grandmother who were staying home while his father and aunt were almost always gone, trying to look for work. So they all lived together in their two-rooms apartment and they all died in the fire...

He may have lost the memories of his parents’ appearance but he did remember his life in poverty... And to still see all the other poor people now living in the area, like those poor little kids who were begging and some adults also begging people around them to survive was really saddening... and depressing... He now really was far from the millionaire life he was living not that long ago... He had lost all those billions, all that fortune and glory and was back to his slum as Heihachi had told him... And he didn’t even honor Wang Jinrai’s demand of restoring honor to the Mishima Zaibatsu... He had completely failed... Yet he may not have been able to live up to Wang’s expectations but at least, he won’t lower himself to his adoptive father’s expectations either... He won’t beg...

"Damn Heihachi... That’s what he wants me to do... Go back to begging... That’s why he left me no I.D. or papers... He must have a lot of fun right now, just imagining me begging... Old fool... But I won’t..."

Lee had sometimes begged when he was a child, sometimes it really was the only way someone could survive... Yet he also remembered when he begged to get a new toy when his parents were still alive and had no money to buy it. Some cheap knockoff of that Japanese robot, Mazinger. Lee had never seen the series but the robot looked so cool... Yet his mother slapped the toy so brutally from his hand when she learned he had begged passersby to get that toy... She forced him to bring back the toy, get a refund and give that refund to a real homeless person to learn that begging was no joke and to realize what real poverty was. And ironically, he learned it even more some times later... Experiencing it firsthand... Yet he also received the real quality toy Mazinger some years later when his adoptive father bought it for him after Lee had finally seen the series on T.V. (with Kuma by his side, they had seen the complete series together)... before Kazuya broke it...

Lee knew that there was no shame in begging if someone really didn’t have any money yet he also knew that a beggar was immediately frowned upon... And that was what Lee didn’t want to feel now... He didn’t want people to frown upon him... He had already been frowned upon a lot when he was forced to beg once in the streets... He had not noticed when he begged to get his toy, but once he was forced to beg for his survival, he noticed the judgmental look full of scorn he was being subjected to. And realized the difference between how homeless people and other people were perceived... He didn’t want anyone to frown upon him and scorn him... and mostly not that damn ex-adoptive father...

Now that the numbness from Kazuya’s death and all those events began fading away, Lee began to feel anger. His adoptive father may have spared him, but he spared him out of contempt... He exiled him in a most humiliating way... Lee felt once more that his father considered Kazuya to be a dangerous threat while he considered him to be a second rate opponent, not deserving enough to be considered dangerous and worthy of some serious punishment, not that Lee wanted to die, he never and still didn’t want to die but he didn’t see his exile as some sort of ‘affection’ like Heihachi told him but as some sort of contempt...

Because he was Heihachi Mishima, he thought he could do anything to him? He had humiliated him all his life and treated him like a second rate son, now he was still thinking he had no importance, was not dangerous, not worthy of any interest and could be thrown away like this? But Heihachi Mishima will learn that you do not lack respect to Lee Chaolan... He could be dangerous as well, once he got back on his feet... He would make the old man pay...

Grumbling about some future revenge, Lee went to the backstreet he knew to try to sleep. Hidden behind some small shed, he would probably not be bothered and may be able to sleep...


	37. Distress

The next day, Lee woke up (he had barely slept anyway). He thought he would feel better but in fact, on the contrary, he felt worse. Not only physically due to having slept in the backstreet while he was also still injured but mostly psychologically. The shock and full consequences of all that happened, hit him full in the face. He was completely under the shock of having lost it all.

Yet he thought he should have been prepared somehow... He already knew he had lost the Tournament and his job... With Kazuya, he had already begun to lose things, he was thrown out of the mansion, he lost his job twice, at the Mishima Heavy Industries and his secretary job... But despite this, he had moved to a very nice apartment, not as luxurious as he would have loved but still with high standards, he still had his expensive clothes and jewels... His luxurious furniture... His two cars... even if one got scrapped... Despite not spending much (and complaining about it) since he had to evaluate and make choices with the few money he had from his job or that remained from his job after he quit, he still had the feeling he could still keep what he had left, he would surely find some job after the Tournament, he was not poor. Then. Now he had nothing.

Well, for some days... If everything went right, he would get his money and then he would be able to travel to the United States, to rent an apartment, not the most luxurious but still a decent one, rent a car, an ordinary car... Probably get a decent job quite fast... But compared to what he had in the Mishima Zaibatsu as the heir... as the heir of a multinational conglomerate worth billions and billions of dollars... He will be poor and just an ordinary guy... He had lost everything... Depressed about all this, somehow distressed and not seeing anything he could do about it, he had done all he could already to keep what he could, Lee didn’t move out of his backstreet and did nothing but having the blues over his loss all day... Apart from going to the small park nearby at night (so that no one would see him) to drink at the water fountain, he didn’t leave his hiding spot. He was too ashamed and disheartened.

But after three days of not eating, hiding in his backstreet, Lee was starving. Somehow using all his will to get out of his hiding place during the day, Lee walked around the area to go drink some more water. He should but he still didn’t want to beg people... But as he was walking toward the park, he suddenly noticed that he was now standing in front of the fish shop where the lady was giving him some food when he was a kid. That place had not changed... Remembering the kind lady, some ideas came to his mind...

Yet he said he wouldn’t beg... But he was now so hungry... Maybe if the lady was still there, she would recognize him and give him something? Without him begging for it? Yet at the same time, he didn’t want to be recognized as living in the streets again... That was why he spent most of his time hiding in the backstreet... After his glory and prestige, being seen falling at the bottom was really humiliating... No one had to see his downfall... He would be too ashamed... Why couldn’t that bank executive come sooner? Just some days to wait... It shouldn’t be so hard... Yet maybe the lady never knew of his success and it would somehow be less humiliating then, to be recognized... Somehow she knew him when he was already at the bottom... People did not all know about his downfall... The people around here didn’t even seem to remember him either since no one spoke to him since he was here... Of course, he was hiding most of the time and he wasn’t a star when he was young (yet he was known by people around for his strange silver hair) but the few times he got out (at night but still...), no one addressed him.

Standing for a while in front of the shop, Lee decided to enter. Once inside, he noticed that the shopkeeper was a man he didn’t know. Lee walked at the far side of the shop to look at the stuff and mostly to see if he would see the lady... But she wasn’t there. After a while of staring at the food, hoping she would come and somehow address him but now losing that hope, Lee began to have some illegal ideas. The man was busy with customers, he could take something and leave... but with the time he was standing here, he probably looked suspicious so the man will look at him as soon as he’s done with his actual customers... Beside that shop somehow helped him when he was young, it was better to go steal elsewhere... So Lee left.

Now in front of another shop, Lee wondered once more what to do. To beg would humiliate him while to steal, if he was caught, would be far worse. He would be both humiliated and punished... But he said he wouldn’t beg... Yet just for some days... He had to hold on just some days... He couldn’t end up in prison because he would have done some shoplifting when the bank executive would come... Maybe he could hold on not eating a little longer... Some martial art masters could do it, why not him? He had water, he could live. So after drinking some water, Lee went back to his discreet place to hide his shame.

Lee was now lying down in the back alley. Again. For two more days he had tried to sleep, hoping time would go faster, but it was hard to sleep on the ground and he barely did so, often dreaming about the last events the few times he slept and not resting at all. He was starving but he still was too ashamed to beg and didn’t want to risk being caught stealing. Lee wondered how did he do to survive when he was young since it seemed so hard now... But when he was young, he didn’t have those wounds he actually had... and he didn’t mind his dignity... Well, not as much... He became far more vain and conceited now... Maybe too much... Far too much... To the point of not doing anything humiliating rather than doing something shameful even only once to survive. But it wasn’t just his pride, something else was paralysing him as well...

But he had to get over his pride, over that incapacitating feeling that seemed to have a hold over him, he had to do something! He only had four days left before the bank executive would come! And he looked like a mess... Heihachi would laugh... After only five days, he already looked like a mess... It was so embarrassing... The bank executive would never take him seriously if he looked like a half-dead dirty bum... Lee knew he was renowned for his elegance, his class... The executive won’t recognize him at all... and won’t accept to get some of his money out of the investment or give him a loan... Since he couldn’t get his money out before a certain period of time, he would have to be persuasive to convince the banker to accept, or to convince him to give him a loan... He now didn’t have much to offer in guarantee, he had to rely on his charisma... He had to give a good impression, not look like a depressed reject... He looked so neglected with his five-day beard... It was so shameful... Anyway the banker will probably refuse to lend him money or to even release his invested funds...

But apart from finding more and more problem, Lee just didn’t know how to deal with any of this. He just couldn’t think right, he didn’t know why he was so helpless... He felt he needed time to think, to pull himself together but he now had all the time in the world to think, why wasn’t he able to do so? Was it anxiety? Depression? He was paralyzed by something... He just couldn’t do anything anymore... Was it still the traumatic shock of everything that happened? Instead of getting over it, he was getting worse...

Suddenly a man got out from the backdoor of the restaurant nearby and put the trash in the dumpster at the far side of the backstreet. Not moving to not get noticed, Lee stared at the dumpster and wondered: Maybe there was some still edible food among it? Maybe he could also find a cigarette among it? He missed smoking... Smoking would calm him down... yet how would he lit it?... But at least, there may be food... It would be disgusting to take something from the dumpster but no one would see him... He wouldn’t have to confront anyone, it probably would be easier... He could not die starving for just four days remaining... Then he would survive to live another day and get his revenge on Heihachi... for those humiliations and those mistreatments... He only had four days to wait... If only he would not need to eat for those four days... it would be far simpler... But he was so hungry... and weak... But the thought of scavenging through the garbage disgusted him and he wondered how he could do that when he was a kid... He was now completely disdainful of the idea... Yet he had to do something... So using all his will once more, Lee got up, went to the dumpster and opened the bag the man just threw. He then looked at the choice offered: Not going through the garbage too far, he found something that looked like some sandwich remains.

"I can’t believe I was eating from those things... Ugh... Oh no, that’s too disgusting... I feel sick... Eww... I can’t... I can’t..."

Maybe he felt sick because he didn’t eat for so long but the sight and the scent of the dumpster gave him an urge to puke... Maybe he probably should beg... Just once... Lee was both disgusted at the idea of eating from the garbage and angered by the fact he knew his father wanted him to either beg or eat from those garbage... But he would do neither. He wouldn’t please his father... Only four days, he was able to resist, mystics and hermits did it, he could do it... Maybe once he would have to go toward the hotel to meet the executive, he would ask someone for some money and buy some snack on the way... To have the strength necessary to walk to the other side of the city... and some razor to shave himself... But not now... Right now, he didn’t even have the strength to think right... He was too depressed, too distressed... Leaving the dumpster, Lee went back to his corner. Maybe he would beg later...

Staying motionless, sitting on the ground and resting half on the building’s brick wall and the shed’s wooden wall, Lee was quite desperate, not able to decide between any course of action since he was staring at the dumpster for hours, not deciding if he should go back to it and try to rummage through it or not or if he should beg or not... Or not seemed to be his current choice of action since he was incapable of doing anything. He didn’t understand what was happening to him... He had probably begun to fall into depression again... With all that happened lately... He now had nothing... He had lost everything... but he told himself that he just had four days to wait and all would be alright again... What a weak-willed loser he was... He was so weak... Weak like his father always told him he was... Weak like Kazuya often told him he was... He remembered when he was crying as a kid and the few times Kazuya consoled him while telling him on his usual harsh and determined tone: _Stop being weak. Show him that he cannot destroy you._ Kazuya was strong-willed... He would certainly not be depressing in a back alley like him... He was strong... Lee then wondered: What would Kazuya do? ... After a moment, Lee sneered:

"Humpf! He wouldn’t do anything, he’s dead! You’re dead now, Kazuya... Your determination didn’t change anything... You’re dead... Somehow, I’m the lucky one..."

Those images of Kazuya half-dead on the helicopter floor kept coming back... Yes, Kazuya was dead... Heihachi took him and threw him into a volcano... He was definitively dead... Destroyed by Heihachi... Brooding over the late events as the sun was now setting down and the alley getting darker, Lee was now only sinking deeper into depression and hate: He lost the Mishima Zaibatsu, his job, his money, his apartment, his car, his right to live in Japan, his dignity... All because of that man: Heihachi Mishima. That man who had treated him like nothing all his life, who thought he could still treat him like nothing...

Yes, Heihachi will regret it... The old fool only deserved to die... And this time, Lee knew he would do it... He would kill Heihachi... He never felt the murderous urges both his father and brother always felt toward each other, even in the worst of times, Lee knew he would not kill, did not wish to kill, but now... if Heihachi was helpless in front of him... He wouldn’t last long... He would die...

"You’re right, Kazuya... He can’t destroy me... I’ll kill him... I have to kill him... Once I’m back on my feet, I’ll go back in Japan and kill him... He just didn’t chase me away, he tried to humiliate me, he wished to humiliate me... He did everything to bring me down and took away everything! That damned man... Humpf! He even killed you, his own son... After all he did to you all those years... You were a real evil person Kazuya, many times hardly bearable, I even despised you with all you did... Even feared you sometimes... To be honest, maybe you did deserve to die but I can see where your evilness comes from... Curse or no curse, he turned you like this... He played a big part in hurting you, and me... And he won’t remain unpunished... I’ll kill him... I’ll kill him... Heihachi Mishima, you won’t break me... I’ll show you! One day!"

Lee then felt very helpless as he thought:

"But I just can’t get out of that backstreet... I just can’t find the strength to do so... I can’t go beg... I don’t want to eat garbage... I don’t know what to do... I have only some days to live like this, why can’t I?..."

He would never be able to get his revenge if he wasn’t even able to get out of the backstreet... Lee didn’t know if he was paralyzed by shame, depression, anxiety, traumatism or just too weak since he hadn’t eaten in a while and was still injured... But somehow, he kept being paralyzed in the backstreet, doing nothing... Half-giving up, half-having vengeful ideas... If he wanted to get his revenge, he had to do something! He could have been the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu but now he was living in the backstreet... He would not be starving in some dirty backstreet... Only four days remaining... What kind of loser was he to let himself go like this? But he was still traumatized, he had seen his brother get killed... He had feared for his own life... He had had everything taken away from him... So quickly... But doing nothing wouldn’t help, he had to do something...

Suddenly, someone yelled from the street not far:

"Chaolan! Chaolan! Lee Chaolan!"

Distracted from his revenge ideas and depressive thoughts, taken out of that somehow post-traumatic shock for a moment, Lee turned his head toward the street. He knew that voice...

"Chaolan!"

Suddenly having the strength to get up, painfully doing so with his cumbersome plaster casts, Lee dragged himself to the street. There, he saw Wang Jinrei walking away, looking everywhere while yelling his name. A little surprised by the old man’s presence, Lee faintly said:

"... Master Wang?"

Hearing the weakened voice, Wang turned around and smiled when he saw Lee.

"Oh, Chaolan! I finally found you! Luckily, with your hair, you’re easy to notice... People saw you and told me you were around here..."

"... How come you’re here?"

"I came to help you."

Lee stared at him with some surprise again. He didn’t expect Wang to come to help him... He didn’t even think Wang knew where he was and he couldn’t call him since Wang had no phone and Lee had no money remaining anyway... Seiko didn’t know Wang either and he didn’t even tell Seiko all of his problems, mostly trying to reassure her that everything was okay, he was fine and only talked about his precious box so she wouldn’t worry for him... He didn’t even tell her where he was in China... With much emotion, he bowed his head in gratitude and said:

" Xièxiè. I am glad to see you... revered master..."

Wang looked at the pitiful-looking young man and knew he did the right thing when he decided to leave Japan...

* * *

Some time earlier...

Wang had visited Lee each day at the hospital since Lee’s brutal defeat but the young man was always in a coma and when he came back the day following Heihachi’s victory, the nurse told him that Lee had been taken away by his father in an helicopter. Worried over that sudden ‘abduction’, somehow having the feeling it didn’t mean anything good, Wang quickly went back to the Mishima mansion where Heihachi had moved back and asked to see him. The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu arrived after a while and said:

"Ah, Wang-san. You fought well in the Tournament. I’m happy to see that at your age, you can still be awesome. It gives me hope for me when I will be old. Come inside, I was having some tea. Do you want some?"

Wang was flattered by the awesome part and outlined a smile as he followed Heihachi inside for some tea. It was too bad Heihachi was evil, he was sometimes likeable... But he may have killed Jinpachi... and maybe Lee... and probably Kazuya. And many others... Heihachi was evil... Though, like for Kazuya, Wang had known Heihachi when he was a small boy... He wasn’t living on the property already and only came to visit Jinpachi sometimes but for the few times he saw him, Heihachi was a good boy, a little mischievous and not shy like Kazuya was, but he was kind, always happy and eager to train... But with that curse, sadly, they all had to turn into monsters...

Both the men were now at the table while Kuma and Kuma II were sleeping not far from their master. Wang told Heihachi as the latter was serving him some tea:

"You delivered many good fights as well, Heihachi-san. Congratulation on your victory. But I came to ask you a question."

"What is it?"

"What have you done with your sons?"

Heihachi put the tea-pot on the table and seriously looked at Wang.

"Does their fate matters that much to you?"

"Yes. It does. Mostly Chaolan."

"Lee? Well, then you’ll be glad he didn’t get what his brother got."

"Which is?" asked the older man even if despite asking, Wang somehow knew that Kazuya was dead, so he wouldn’t insist on his fate and mostly wanted to know about Lee.

"Which is none of your business but I shouldn’t tell it to you like this. I should respect my elders. But Lee is just outside of the country. For a long time. For the rest of his life, in fact."

"Where?"

"I sent him back to China. In his native city. In the streets where he belongs."

"But he still needed cares at the hospital. He just got out from his coma... He had a broken leg, a broken arm and broken ribs... a commotion... and..."

Heihachi dismissed Wang’s worries with a gesture from his hand.

"Oh, he’s tough. I trained him and he grew up in those streets, so no need to worry over him."

"You trained him but you also horribly beat him in the Tournament."

"Indeed, I have been a little rough on him", answered the adoptive father on an insensitive tone.

But Heihachi thought that he needed to make an example for Kazuya... Beside, the Mishima CEO remembered that Lee didn’t really look or worry for him when he was comatose in the ravine Kazuya threw him into... For a while, at his weakest, when he had just woke up, Heihachi had hoped Lee would come looking for him... Then together, they would overthrow Kazuya and take back the Zaibatsu... But as he learned later, Lee didn’t even come to the hospital once and was now working for that monster Kazuya. A thing which angered Heihachi greatly and which proved once more that humans were really not trustworthy... Unlike Lee, Kuma would have looked for him, but he was deported... Lee didn’t do anything against this either (though on that one Heihachi could understand because if Kuma had not being deported, he would probably have been killed right away by Kazuya)... Now Lee was deported as well and not killed right away. The ungrateful brat only deserved what he got. Heihachi then added:

"And what’s your point? Since when you worry about Lee?"

Since not long enough I guess... thought Wang, who still thought he should have done something for both of Heihachi’s sons when they were young, without still knowing what, before he replied:

"I don’t know... But I want to tell you I’m leaving. I’m leaving my home. Thank you for your hospitality but I’m going back to China."

"To find Lee?"

"Yes. And my family. It’s been a while."

"Fine. Do as you wish. If you want to come back, you’ll be welcome as well since I agreed you could stay until your death. But don’t bring back Lee. I don’t ever want to see him again."

"Thank you but I don’t think I’ll be back", said the old man as he just finished his tea.

And Wang left. Heihachi didn’t care, as long as Lee didn’t come back in Japan, Heihachi didn’t care who Lee would meet or what he would do... Wang could go see him if he wished...

As the old man was going away, Heihachi gazed toward the distant mountains where Hon-Maru was located. He had not been there since his defeat in the first Tournament, two years ago... Heihachi thought that if Wang knew what was there, he would probably have another reason to come and complain... even more than just complain... Jinpachi, whom Heihachi had imprisoned there, must have starved to death...

* * *

Twenty-three years ago, after Jinpachi had enough of Heihachi’s corrupt ambitions and brutal treatment on his little Kazuya, believing more and more that Heihachi must have also killed his wife, Jinpachi had finally confronted his son to make him stop. They fiercely fought one against the other in the temple of Hon-Maru but in the end, Jinpachi lost to his son.

Yet Heihachi having killed his beloved Kazumi not long ago, before he almost killed his son as well, didn’t find the strength to kill his father. He was still traumatized by Kazumi’s death and was slightly regretting to have tried to kill his son... Since Kazuya, who had apparently seen the murder of his mother, kept accusing him of having killed his beloved mother. The little five years old wanted to kill his father for it, never stopping to harass him with this while Heihachi couldn’t take away the sight of his beloved Kazumi as a devilish monster or as a dead body at his feet. Still traumatized over this and always attacked and accused by his constantly enraged son, the kid never shutting up even when spanked, Heihachi began to think that Kazuya was a monster like his mother had turned to and began to see him as an abomination more and more... beating him more and more brutally. In an access of maybe madness when Kazuya accused him once more, Heihachi, having enough of all this, threw his son over a cliff to get rid of the Devil creature once and for all. An event which proved that Kazuya really was a monster when, many hours later, Heihachi saw him climb back half-dead, covered in blood, having a deep bleeding gash on his small chest and with even more hate for his father in his eyes before he fainted.

But Heihachi having calmed down and having some slight regrets now seeing his little son in a so pitiful state, decided to treat his son’s wounds and to keep Kazuya for now despite the fact that his son now brought disgust and even fear to him. He knew his son was really a monster... He would have to really kill him one day... Kazuya had also began to shut up and stopped endlessly accusing his father, despite the hate he now had for him, and became taciturn, waiting for his revenge and closing his heart to everyone, rejecting everybody, mostly when he also lost his grandfather...

But despite still beating and mistreating Kazuya half of the time, when he was seeing him more like a Devil than like his son, Heihachi was also traumatized with all those events. He had enough of killing his family, so he then decided to lock his father in the basement of Hon-Maru so that the old man would stop interfering. He would free him later... Once his goals would be accomplished.

Yet while ruling over the Mishima Zaibatsu, doing some morally questionable decisions for the good of the corporation and while still mistreating his abnormal son, Heihachi became more and more insensible over time and decided that freeing his father would only bring him trouble and oppose his great ambitions... There was no way Jinpachi would forgive him, the old man was always threatening him with how he would punish him once he would be free, and Heihachi knew Jinpachi would always take Kazuya’s side. The old man was now a problem, yet Heihachi was still unable to kill his defenseless father and since it took him everything to be able to beat the old man when they fought, he didn’t dare free him and kill him in a fair fight either, so he left him chained under the temple, despite that fate being even crueler than death but Heihachi had also become crueler than before. Heihachi gave his father’s food like some would do with a caged animal, sometimes addressing Jinpachi with contempt, totally insensible to his father’s sufferings. After a while, Jinpachi gave up and didn’t address his son anymore, turning his head away, ignoring him each times Heihachi was coming to bring him food. Giving up on being freed one day... Giving up on life... No one else knew Jinpachi was there, so no one aside from Heihachi, could come to feed him... or free him...

It was the Mishima’s personal temple, no servants dared enter it and Wang as a guest on the Mishima property, never did either, not wanting to be impolite and having nothing to do there. Even Heihachi’s sons were not likely to go in there... Neither Kazuya nor Lee were very religious, they would not go to the temple, even less in the basement where Jinpachi was. In fact, apart from when Kazuya was very small and going with his parents, he never went there or in any other temple and Lee never went to a temple in his whole life, so they wouldn’t fall on Jinpachi by accident... Heihachi thought that Kazuya probably didn’t like temples, being compared to the Devil and all, and Lee coming from a somehow almost atheist country, was very secular and never showed any interest for those religious things. Heihachi, Kazumi and Jinpachi were more incline to go to temples and follow traditions than the new generation...

* * *

Twenty-three years later, when Heihachi came back to see Kazuya who was the new CEO after the first Tournament, to ask about Kuma, a month and a half had already passed, Heihachi thought that Jinpachi must have been already dead... The old man was tough, he had survived twenty-three years imprisoned and even chained in the basement but he could still starve... Since Heihachi didn’t think he would be away for that long, he didn’t leave any food like he did when he left for business trips for a while... No need to tell Kazuya and tell him to go there to feed the old man... It was already too late... And this deed wasn’t really something Heihachi wanted Kazuya to know about, despite how it would have enraged and traumatized his son... Maybe because Heihachi knew that if he had told Kazuya about Jinpachi, he would not have gotten out of the building alive...

Beside, the sight must be ugly... Heihachi didn’t really want to go back there himself... At least, he was now rid of his old man... No need to feed him anymore... The now really insensitive Heihachi was in fact glad, he was now rid of everyone who were bothering him... He now could get into more serious things... World conquest... To make peace reign upon the world... Heihachi thought he had good intentions, he just had to be firm to make them happen... and sometimes do bad things for it to happen. Not being weak like Jinpachi, who accomplished nothing entirely because of that weakness... Jinpachi was weak and useless... Like most kind people... They think they help people but they don’t get anywhere... They never get any results...

Heihachi remembered how many times he argued with Jinpachi over how to make peace reign in the world... He remembered the long conversations over this subject that he had with his father and Kazumi... They all wanted world peace, they were just not agreeing over the way to achieve it... One thing that had always troubled Heihachi was how Kazumi mostly seemed to be on his father’s side over this... She was too kind... He wouldn’t call her weak like he did for his father since he also loved very much that kind side of her... If she hadn’t turned into such a monster, he would never have been able to dehumanize her later and get rid of her like he did for anyone else... He would never have been able to kill her if she had opposed him as a human... Even now he still regretted her death... The only human he missed or cared about...

* * *

Going back in the gardens, Wang shared one last drink with Jinpachi’s stele, explaining to his friend why he was leaving, asking forgiveness for not having been able to help him and then left Japan to go back to China. He had enough, he didn’t want to live in the courtyard of a killer, the one who probably killed his friend, who hurt or killed his own children... Maybe one day, he’ll come back to avenge Jinpachi but now Lee probably needed his help...

* * *

And since Lee had told him his native city was Shanghai, Wang had begun looking for him there... and luckily found him now...


	38. Helping hand

As most people were now going back home since the night was falling and the shops were beginning to close, Wang asked Lee, who was still looking at him with gratitude:

"Are you hungry?"

The young man nodded affirmatively to the old man’s question. Seeing the hunger and eagerness to eat in Lee’s eyes, Wang nodded as well and said:

"As I expected. Let’s go eat something before everything closes. I’m really hungry as well, looking for you all afternoon and evening..."

Lee gladly followed Wang to some small restaurant. During the walk, Wang explained:

"I had some money to pay my trip here but I don’t have much anymore. So I suggest, that after we ate, that we head toward north. My family lives north. They could take us for a while, I guess... Until I find my own place. We could take the bus for a while but then we’ll have to walk a bit to the village... Some days... Maybe hitch-hike a ride if possible, if we meet someone on the way..."

"Hum... Thank you for the offer, revered master, but I cannot go north. I must meet someone in four days. My banker. I have some money in an account and even if I don’t have any I.D. cards on me, I hope he will accept to help me... My father, ex-adoptive father, left me here with nothing, not even my wallet and I.D. cards..."

Wang added, after he ordered some meals for them both and they sat down to a table:

"One person could help you get your I.D. cards and all back quickly: Lei Wulong."

"The Interpol detective?"

"Yes, he needs to know some information about the Mishima Zaibatsu... He wanted to interrogate you after the Tournament... Of course, he knows the law, he would be able to get your I.D. cards back..."

Lee didn’t seem too enthusiastic.

"Yes, he will get me some I.D. photo with a nice number under my head... Photos taken both from front and side... If I talk, I have no protection like I would have had if I had control of the Zaibatsu. I’m an ordinary guy and ordinary guys go to jail when they do crimes. I don’t want to meet him. The only thing he’ll do is give me less prison years. So thank you but no. I’ll get my money and leave. Beside, now that my ex-adoptive father is back, he won’t let anyone look into the Mishima Zaibatsu’s affairs. Even the most ugly ones done by Kazuya. He’ll hide it all for the honor of the Mishima Zaibatsu. I’m really angry at him right now and I hate to say it but I know he will stop the most corrupt affairs Kazuya was doing. He’ll take care of it. And if I should talk about it, he would take care of me as well. I have no doubts about it now... If you see the detective, just tell him that Bruce Irvin, whom he was looking for, is not dead and faked his death with Kazuya’s help, I don’t know how but I don’t want to meet with Lei Wulong. I’ll take care of my money, I.D. and all, myself."

Yet Lee knew he still had those incriminating information he took on his flashdrives but he didn’t have them right now and if he was to give those information to the police, he wanted to know what he would give and even if he would give them... Like he said, he knew Heihachi would kill him if he did... Maybe one day he could find a good use for those but not now...

Wang didn’t insist. He was somehow agreeing with Lee. He had befriended Lei during madam Chang’s liberation but somehow also didn’t want to dirty the Mishima Zaibatsu even more... For Jinpachi’s memory... At least with Heihachi now, like Lee said, it would be less horrific and criminal than when Kazuya was controlling it. Wang knew Lee had incriminated himself with some things since the young man confessed him all one day when Wang kept telling him he was better than his family and deserved the Mishima Zaibatsu. Lee had felt bad and felt forced to confess everything to him, mostly when he had just learned about the human trafficking. He told Wang all he did, like when he obeyed Heihachi and used some more dirty ways to get things done for the Zaibatsu while in the United States and, while being the head of the Mishima Heavy Industries under Kazuya’s rule, how he held Doctor Bosconovitch prisoner and experimented on animals and maybe on people, since he now had the feeling that what Kazuya was hiding from him probably involved human experiments. He had only learned about the human trafficking after working there but he did regret not trying to look more into this since he was already suspecting something bad was going on and not only did he regret it but since he was the head of the place, he would be charged with everything if the law now came to investigate. But Wang knew Lee somehow didn’t do any of these things out of evilness and told him he was still better than his family because he wouldn’t keep doing those things once at the head of the Zaibatsu. Wang told him he knew he was good. The old man’s faith in him did help Lee get the resolve to fight against his brother. Yet a crime was a crime and Lee would have to face some justice if all this was revealed... But Wang still believed Lee was a good person and should have control of the Mishima Zaibatsu to clean it all from inside. At least, Heihachi would clean a good part now but Lee needed to clean the rest.

"Will you come with me in my family then, after meeting your banker? I will train you and you may go back if Heihachi does another Tournament. I’m sure he will. He seemed to have appreciated very much the experience and beside, he didn’t build that new stadium for nothing... Two events is not worth it and probably doesn’t cover the construction cost..."

Wang was thinking that after some intensive training, they should go back to Japan to get their revenge on Heihachi. Lee would get the Mishima Zaibatsu and restaure its honor... It could still be done... Despite Heihachi having disowned and exiled Lee, he somehow was still his only son remaining... Lee was known by many relations... It probably would be easy to somehow take back control of the Zaibatsu... Well, at least, possible... But Lee answered back:

"... No, he won’t. He probably learned his lesson and won’t organize such an event anymore. The arena can be used for many other profitable events other than a Tournament... Other sport events, concerts, exhibitions... And even if there was a third Tournament since my ex-adoptive father is indeed crazy about fighting and could maybe do such an event again, he probably won’t offer the Zaibatsu as price, having no one to lure this time, so, no. I’m just not interested. He clearly told me: A bullet is waiting for my silver-haired head if I come back... He wouldn’t accept me in a tournament, I’ll be killed as soon as I set foot in Japan. So as much as I would like to make my ‘dear’ father suffer and get some revenge, I cannot. Not now. Beside, I must go to the United States. I have something waiting for me there."

"In your actual state? You’ll travel while you’re still wounded?"

"No disrespect, revered master, but you were asking me to take the bus and then walk to the north for days in that state. Taking the plane will be even less efforts."

"Yes, but then I thought we both had to hurry to find a place since we didn’t have money. If you get money in four days, you should rest a while in some hotel or apartment before you go anywhere."

"I don’t want to lose time, I don’t even know how much time I must keep my plaster casts... It must not stop me... At least, with my money, I’ll be able to take a taxi to the hospital to know... Once I get my cards..."

"You must keep it for about a month. Then you return to the hospital to know if it healed well. I asked when I came to visit you. So I suggest you rest for the whole month, go to the hospital here and then once you don’t have any plaster cast, you’re free to travel without any problems."

"I fear to lose my things... I have to go take them back..."

"What things?"

Lee explained that he sent his robotic researches over to Michelle’s house and was worried about losing them. His friend Seiko sent them under her name since he didn’t want Heihachi to know about it and Michelle may think it wasn’t for her and get rid of the package, or it might get lost in the mail, or someone may steal it, or... Heihachi might still try to give trouble to Michelle and also take his things... He had to warn her... Wang reassured him over this, saying the same thing as Lee previously thought: that Heihachi already had a lot to take care of in Japan before he would try to go after Michelle’s amulet again and told Lee to at least wait until he was in better shape to travel around the world. Heihachi still had much of Kazuya’s crimes to take care of, he wouldn’t go into other crimes of his own already. He probably wouldn’t represent a threat for many months to come. And shipping took time, so the package may not even have reached Michelle’s address...

Now reassured by the old man’s presence, not feeling helpless and alone anymore, Lee began to return to a calmer and more logical attitude. He though that indeed he should rest a bit. Beside, he would still have to take care of his identity papers if he wanted to travel into other countries... He had feared being sent back to Japan but maybe not... He was born here, if he asked for his birth certificate first, he would probably get it and be fine for asking the rest. Mostly if he got his money since, once more, money could buy anything... Yet he wasn’t that rich yet, he had money in that account but most would come once those investments in the G-Corporation would pay... and to get money from that investment, he could not get too much money out of his account since it was the invested money that would grow out if it... But he probably would still be able to pay a lot, like his trip to the United States.

Yet for now, Lee had to rely on Wang to pay the food and the apartment. Looking in the newspaper ads while eating, Wang called and rented a small one room furnished apartment for the month, which was less costly than renting at the hotel, mostly since he had haggled over it to get it half price, so they went there after eating. The landlord said he would hide the key under the carpet in front of the door and they would just have to pay him in the morning since it was getting really late. When they arrived, two hours later having walked all the way there, it was already night time. Luckily, the key was there and they entered the apartment. Once inside, they noticed that the place was kind of poor looking, with cracked walls, very worn floor and there was only one bed in the room... No toilet, like many apartments from the area, all using the public ones outside... Lee was really disappointed but Wang told him it was only for a while, so they wouldn’t live forever there. The old man then told Lee:

"I slept all the way in the plane while you slept for days in the street, take the bed."

"But I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your bed, you need to sleep as well... You paid for..."

There was also the respect he had to give his elder but Lee didn’t know how to say it without insulting Wang who quickly answered:

"Don’t take me for a fragile old man, I’ll sleep once you have slept. You’re still wounded, you need rest."

Wang used a quite decided tone and Lee didn’t dare argue with the old man anymore.

"Fine. Xièxiè …"

Looking at the bed, he asked Wang:

"... Do you think there are bedbugs in it?"

"I have no idea. Maybe. But they are not dangerous."

"Eww..."

"I have slept in many places that had bedbugs when I was a travelling merchant. I have never died from it."

Lee felt silly. He slept in a backstreet for five days, so he shouldn’t feel so disgusted by a bed, even with maybe bedbugs in it... and an apartment that apparently had mold as he now noticed the disgusting substance around the small sink they had near the bed... No surprise Wang had it for half price... But he bowed in apology to his martial art teacher and said:

"I’m sorry, laoshi. You paid the place with the only money you had, you had to find that place quite fast, I shouldn’t look so ingrate. I’ll take the bed now but please, wake me up in three hours, I will have slept enough and you shall take the bed for the other half of the night."

Lee then laid down on the bed but he couldn’t sleep, worrying about the bedbugs and still traumatized about the last events. Yet the bed was surprisingly more comfortable than he thought... Maybe because he slept in that alley for too long... Well, slept, that was a big word... He lied down in that alley for days, he didn’t sleep... After a short time, noticing no bedbugs and being very tired, he fell asleep.

When he woke up, there was no one in the room, it seemed to be very early morning but then Wang entered the room laughing and seemingly talking to someone outside before he saluted the person and closed the door. The old man told Lee:

"I went to pay the rent and then I spoke to our neighbour, a fine man... Very funny... His wife gave us small cakes... They seem very kind... By the way, he said there were no bedbugs in the place, the cockroaches ate them all."

"Oh, heavens! That’s disgusting!"

Lee made a completely disgusted face before Wang continued:

"Don’t worry, he only said there was no bedbugs here. Nothing about cockroaches."

"So... there are no cockroaches either?"

"I don’t think so. They don’t like rats."

"Laoshi! Please, stop it!"

As Wang laughed, Lee thought that he definitively turned into a rich snob. There were some bugs in his apartment when he was a child, he just didn’t mind. Yet maybe they were neither bedbugs nor cockroaches... He just didn’t remember. He had also slept in places not too great when he was sleeping in the streets, hidden places to avoid problems with people but full of spiders and other bugs... Yet he really missed his luxurious places where he lived in Japan... He would certainly not remain here forever...

Yet feeling bad of taking for such a long time the few comfort they had, Lee began to painfully get up as quick as his plaster casts allowed him.

"But you let me sleep all night? You need the place! You should have woken me! I thought we would have taken half of the time each."

"You needed the sleep, even if I was beginning to worry that you had slipped back into a coma... but I also didn’t want to bother you, you needed rest. Beside I told you, I’m not a fragile old man."

"I know but you do need to rest as well..."

Lee then got up and went to the door to sit outside. Before he left, Wang asked him while showing some small cakes:

"You want some cake?"

"... Huh, no. Xièxiè but I’m not hungry."

Despite looking very appetizing, Lee thought that Wang deserved those cakes, he already was taking his money to live, he wouldn’t take his sweets away...

"I'll go outside."

"Okay", said Wang as he took the bed. He was glad because in fact, he was getting tired... And the now rainy weather outside made him feel really sleepy... He got on the bed and quickly fell asleep before he began to snore.

Lee went outside. The rain falling in the street, over the roofs with the small morning birds chirping, was somehow very calming. Lee sat on the small bench outside, protected from the rain by the small roof and gazed at life on the street. It was still early, some people were going to work, to school, doing mundane chores... The ambiance was somehow very relaxing...

Lee felt serene but somehow all those good and bad memories of his life in Japan kept coming back... The rich train of life he had, compared to now... Yes, it was all very serene to sit on a bench and enjoy the rain falling but he had lost so much... He would never be able to get all that back... In some days, he would get his money but it was far from what he would have had with the Mishima Zaibatsu... He had lost that for good... His father rejected him and never wanted to see him again, Lee knew Heihachi wasn’t joking... But anyway Heihachi never loved him... He never cared about him and he frankly told him... And to think he had tried to please that man all those years... Yes, he did a mistake that time to side with Kazuya but Heihachi never acted to deserve his loyalty... Heihachi somehow deserved that rebellion from him and Kazuya... To be respected, you need to respect as well... And Heihachi never respected him, even despite all the luxuries he gave him, those weren’t respect... Heihachi was so rich, it was no big deal to give him a rich life, it wasn’t a sacrifice, nor a proof of love... It was just to annoy Kazuya... Somehow, Lee didn’t regret having sided with Kazuya, he only regretted having lost... He regretted having done some things with Kazuya, having obeyed his evil brother and not opposed him soon enough but he didn’t regret having turned his back on his father, the old fool deserved it...

And the serenity began to change to anger and revenge again... He would get revenge against his adoptive father... But how? It seemed impossible... Maybe the fact it was impossible was making him feel even more vengeful... Heihachi was probably thinking he was untouchable but Lee would like to give him a lesson and prove him wrong... Yet he should forget about that... He would probably just end getting killed... But Heihachi should not win... He didn’t deserve all he got...

Yet still hearing the calming rain, the birds and the quiet day that was beginning, Lee thought he should stop thinking about that...

* * *

The next day, Wang and Lee were in a small shop buying food. After Wang had accepted to use some of his money to also buy a razor for Lee, the young man, hoping to get more, thanked him then asked:

"Laoshi... Hum... Since you have enough money to buy that razor... Do you have some more spare money?"

"For what?"

"I need to buy makeup."

"What?"

Lee showed his face.

"Look at my horrible bruises. I won’t be able to meet the bank executive with that... It’s enough that I barely have decent clothes... A simple t-shirt and some cheap pants, even ripped pants..."

"You’re exaggerating, Chaolan. I have some money but I told you, I keep it for the food and important things. No useless frills! I won’t buy you pointless cosmetics!" said the old man on a scolding tone.

Despite being quite respectful and obedient toward him, Lee could be such a capricious kid sometimes, thought Wang. Now that he had bought him one thing, Lee will want to buy the whole shop... Makeup, clothes...

After a moment of silence, intimidated by the tone Wang used, Lee replied:

"...But appearance is very important in the business world. They may know me because I am known in the financial world but if they see me looking like this, they may refuse to recognize me and to give me my money, saying I’m not who I claim to be."

"With your shaved face, you will look decent enough and you need nothing else. Your face already has healed a lot since I last saw you at the hospital, it will continue and in some days, you’ll look even better. It’s almost not even tumefied anymore and once at home, you’ll put ice once more on it. Beside it’s not because of some colorful bruises that he won’t recognize you. They cannot refuse to give you your money."

"It’s not just something about refusing to give me my money but something about refusing to lend me more money... I want to convince them to lend me extra money instead of taking from my investments... I’ll make it up to you."

"No. We need that money for important things. Your bruises won’t spoil your chances to get money. As long as you look clean, you’ll be okay. And new clothes will cost too much. Beside you still have that plaster cast and we would have to rip your new pants as well to put them, so no."

But even in the financial world where people wore elegant expensive clothes, Lee was renowned for his excellent taste in clothing and good appearance... To show himself wearing some cheap t-shirt and ripped pants while also having bruises and plaster casts, was humiliating for the young man. But with that scolding tone, Lee knew it was useless to argue with his master and Wang would probably refuse to buy him some cigarettes as well... Lee didn’t smoke very often but when he was nervous, he always had that need for a cigarette... And right now, the fact he didn’t know if he would be able to get his hand on his money or even his I.D. was making him very nervous even if he now was calmer than when he was alone. He didn’t want to have to ask the help of Lei Wulong... He didn’t want to go in prison... But maybe the fact that he couldn’t smoke was for the best, lately, during the last Tournament, he had turned to that bad habit a little too often...

* * *

But Lee worried for nothing. Once the bank executive met with him, he recognized him and believing him, he offered to drive him and Wang to the government office to get his birth certificate and the I.D. papers he needed since it would also help to confirm his account. Then it will be easier to continue with the rest. He drove them around the city to organize all this and joked all along, making Lee feel less embarrassed for his not so elegant appearance and not too glorious position he was in now.

Once Lee had his I.D. papers, the banker then quickly took care of everything and agreed for a 10 000$ loan, thus not taking the money out of Lee’s investments in G-Corporation (the new company still needed as much money from as much investors as it could to start and grow profitably...) and Lee could finally use his money. Lee then invited both Wang and the executive to some expensive restaurant after he quickly bought himself some more elegant clothes (fitting over his plaster cast) and offered the same to Wang who refused.

As soon as the executive was gone, Lee and Wang took a better room in some hotel, not a too luxurious but with two beds and guaranteed no vermin. A little worried, Wang told Lee he shouldn’t spend too much already, after all, it was a loan, but Lee told him that they both had to be cheap on the money those last days since they had none and they deserved some luxury now. Wang knew that Lee wanted to repay him for his help yet with how Lee started to act once more, giving large tips and flaunting his money at the restaurant and the hotel, Wang mostly worried about this...

* * *

But at least, like Wang asked him, Lee waited to get better and not have any encumbering plaster cast anymore before he would leave China. He then paid the bus for Wang who still wanted to go meet his family, while also insisting to give the old man money for his help, to pay back the apartment, the food and the inestimable morale-boosting help while he also wanted to help Wang settle down near his family in some house or apartment of his own. Wang took some but refused the whole sum Lee offered him since he thought Lee would need it later (or waste it all on expensive things...) and he didn’t need that much. Wang was used to a life of simplicity, no need for all that money...

While waiting for the bus, sitting on the bench, Wang asked Lee:

"So, even if you sent all your stuff to her home, there’s nothing between you and Michelle? I’m surprised. She’s really hot. Her mother is hot as well."

"What?" asked Lee, surprised by the expression the eighty-something year old man used to describe Michelle and her mother. Wang continued speaking:

"If I had been thirty or even twenty years younger, I would have tried my luck with Tàitai Chang. She seems to like Chinese men... While you would hook up with Michelle."

"Huh... Well, no. There’s nothing between us."

Lee added after a moment:

"...Yet if she would show some interest, I wouldn’t say no... She is really hot indeed..."

Lee found Michelle pretty indeed, even really hot like Wang said, but since he first met her as a fourteen year old child and that he felt guilty for her father’s death, he mostly had protective feelings toward her, not amorous or lustful ones despite her being very beautiful. Except like he just said, if she would show some interest, he may reconsider... But she didn’t seem to be interested in any of this and it was okay. As much as Lee could hit on many women, he also had a lot of female friends that he didn’t try to seduce.

The bus then arrived and people began to take place in it. Respectfully bowing to the old man, Lee told him before Wang would go in the bus:

" Xièxiè, revered master, for all your help... I owe you so much... You were there to help me get on my feet again and I’ll never forget it."

"Glad I could help. Now take care, Chaolan. Don’t spend too much on futilities."

"I can’t make any promises on this but don’t worry about me, I won’t spend it all. Thank you again and take care as well", said Lee as he suddenly hugged the surprised old man.

As the bus went away with Wang, Lee looked at it, thinking he would now leave Shanghai as well, even China. But a slight thought of revenge also crossed his mind: Now that he was fine, he could go back to Japan to make his ex-father pay... and take back everything. But he then calmed down. No. He wouldn’t. Not now. He had to go to the United States... Maybe later he would get his revenge. He then called the airport for a trip to the United States.


	39. The violet box

Some time later, madam Chang was in her rocking chair outside of the house, quietly enjoying some relaxing time while reading a book when she noticed a dust cloud in the distance.

As it approached, she realized that it was a car coming toward the house. Once it parked in front of the house, she recognized the person driving it: Lee Chaolan... She got nervous: What could he want? She now trusted Lee, he helped them a lot but he always came when they had problems, so was he coming to warn them of some new Mishima Zaibatsu aggression?

She still didn’t feel completely safe at home even if both her and her daughter learned that Kazuya Mishima had been beaten since it was now Heihachi Mishima who had taken back control of the Mishima Zaibatsu and not his adoptive son as they would have hoped. Kazuya had abducted her but Heihachi had organized her husband’s murder... They both were dangerous...

Yet Lei Wulong had assured them of the Interpol’s protection despite the fact that they refused to go in the witness protection program. The international police agency would take frequent news of them for a while, until they would be certain that Heihachi Mishima would leave them alone (and if something happened later, he would be suspect number one). But still, madam Chang wondered: Why was Lee Chaolan coming here? He was closer to the Mishima Zaibatsu, he may know about dangers that Lei Wulong didn’t... At least, he seemed alright despite his father beating him in that Tournament... Who knows, Heihachi was so ruthless, he may have killed him as well...

As she was now standing up on the porch, looking at him, part relieved that he was alright and part worried about what he had to say, Lee got out of the car. He smiled at her before he politely bowed to her.

"Hello, madam Chang! I hope you’re having a nice day?"

"Yeah... More or less... Why have you come? Not that I don’t want to see you, sorry for the rudeness, but is there anything wrong?"

Feeling a little embarrassed for the seemingly distrustful or rather worrisome state he seemed to put her in, Lee made some steps toward madam Chang and said:

"No. Nothing wrong but..."

Lee then reverently bowed to her again and said:

"Madam Chang, I guess my presence doesn’t bring good memories to you... with all that you suffered... No one from the corporation ever told you, and I do not work for the Mishima Zaibatsu anymore, but as a former Mishima Zaibatsu executive, I want to tell you that I am deeply sorry for everything that happened. I present you my sincere apologies for... your husband and your abduction..."

A little surprised by this sudden apology, madam Chang took some seconds before she replied:

"Are you asking forgiveness for the Mishima Zaibatsu? It’s not you who gave us those troubles and it’s not the Mishima Zaibatsu now asking for forgiveness, I don’t expect them to do it one day but you don’t have to ask for forgiveness in their name..."

Madame Chang really didn’t expect the Mishima Zaibatsu to present their excuses and even if the CEO in person, Heihachi Mishima, came and asked her to forgive him in the most humble and repentant way, she didn’t think she would forgive him. She never could... He killed her beloved husband without any remorse, just for an amulet... That man was a monster... She really hoped he would have lost the Tournament... She hoped he would have died... Meanwhile, Lee answered:

"Well... It’s not exactly in their name I ask but I was part of the corporation, so..."

Yet Lee did wonder: Maybe he was indeed asking forgiveness for the Mishima Zaibatsu... He was somehow used to speak in their name and the Zaibatsu had somehow been all his life... His only work experience... But he wasn’t part of it anymore and would never be again... So he didn’t have to involve them in his apologies... He then said:

"I’m sorry. I’m personally sorry for all you suffered."

"You don’t have to apologize for anything, you helped us a lot. Thank you for all you did to help me and my daughter", said madam Chang on a kind tone which slightly reassured Lee who gave a small smile to the older woman.

Yet he still felt guilty about mister Chang... He may not be in the Mishima Zaibatsu anymore but he was then... He somehow knew that his father wanted to use a more ruthless ways with mister Chang... And he did nothing... then. He did help Michelle and her mother later but they had lost someone they cared a lot about because he had not done enough to help them... He didn’t know it would go to the point of murder but he wasn’t sure now if he would have done more anyway since he feared his father so much then and still wanted his approbation... Yet madam Chang didn’t seem to hold him responsible like he had slightly feared at first with her welcome... A little embarrassed herself by that conversation, madam Chang then asked on a more light-hearted tone:

"But again, to what may we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

She still feared something bad despite Lee telling her the contrary. The young man then asked her:

"I wanted to know... Did you receive a box? From Japan?"

"Huh, Yes... We did..."

Madam Chang wasn’t certain if Lee was talking about the box they received some days ago and wondered what was that box exactly, while, all awkward feelings suddenly gone, Lee now seemed excited; he quickly jumped over the three stairs to the porch before he hugged madam Chang and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You did? Oh, That’s excellent! Can I see it?"

"Huh..."

Madam Chang was quite surprised by the young man’s joy and the sudden friendly and even over familiar gesture while Michelle came out of the house at this moment. Lee let go of madam Chang and exclaimed in joy as he noticed her:

"Michelle! Good to see you!"

He was about to hug her as well when he suddenly noticed what she was holding in her arms: A little baby.

"Oh. ...You have a baby?"

"Yes. She is called Julia", said Michelle as she lovingly gazed at the little girl she was holding.

"Is she your niece? You have a sister or a brother?"

"No, she’s my daughter."

"Oh. So... you have a boyfriend? I didn’t know..."

So Michelle wasn’t free... So much for the conversation about dating her he had with Wang... She really wasn’t interested in him... Yet Lee wondered if he had even gone out with a married woman or a woman already in a relationship before... Probably... He never asked them about all their life, they were free to do whatever they wanted... He was only there to give them some good times... If the woman was not happy with her husband or boyfriend and came to see him, he wouldn’t refuse to give her some lovely moments... But has he ever been on a date with a mother? Maybe... since he never asked...

Lee thought that Michelle probably had that baby just before coming to Japan and probably entrusted her to the father or some friend when she travelled... Maybe she wasn’t even with that guy anymore... She didn’t speak about any of this to him but they didn’t have much time to speak anyway and Lee thought that he didn’t know her very much in fact... He sent all his precious stuff here and apart from things that concerned her many problems with the Mishima Zaibatsu, he knew nothing of her. But Michelle answered back:

"No, I don’t. And I’m not the real mother. I found Julia as she was abandoned in the ruins of a Native American settlement not far when we came back here. I often go there to explore, trying to find old artifacts, like my dad often did before but I never thought I would find a little baby..."

"Not a very old artifact..." added Lee while Michelle laughed before she continued:

"Yeah, she was not old... And she was so little, all alone. Crying..."

Now fully remembering how she found Julia, Michelle suddenly became emotive as she continued speaking about the discovery she made. She told Lee how, as the sun was setting and that she was about to leave the place to go back home, she suddenly heard a baby crying. Wondering where those cries came from and looking around the settlement, she suddenly found her... She remembered how she feared for the little girl who was alone and helpless, only half-wrapped in her little baby blanket, having taken it away while moving her little legs... Why was she there? Was she abandoned? Her parents came here and forgot her? Or the more horrible reason... left her to die? Left her to starve or to be eaten by coyotes? The desert nights could also be very cold...

When Michelle came toward her, the little baby was looking at her with her big teary eyes, asking to be embraced, asking to be loved... When Michelle took her in her arms, hugging the little girl protectively, she knew she would do anything to keep that little baby safe... But it wasn’t her child, she couldn’t keep her without being accused of child abduction, so she took her to the police department to know if she had any worried parents looking for her (while also asking repetitively the police to really make sure her parents were kind and did not abandon her if they found them) but when she learned no one had lost a baby around, no one was looking for their child and that the little girl would be taken to social services, somehow relieved that the baby wouldn’t return to abusive parents, she quickly filled an adoption form to take the little baby with her. She wouldn’t let her grow alone, in a cold orphanage without love... In a place where people could beat her or hurt her... Julia, as she then named her, would be protected by her... Somehow she was happy to take her back with her since she already loved her like her own daughter as soon as she found her... Feeling alone since the death of her husband, madam Chang welcomed the baby with much joy as well, pointing out that she looked just like Michelle when she was a baby...

"We don’t know who her parents are or where she comes from but Julia is our little baby now", continued Michelle as she explained all her story to Lee.

"So she is a little adopted baby..." said Lee as he now gazed at Michelle with admiration then at Julia with love. He suddenly loved very much that little child... That cute little baby girl was adopted, like him... And she was now smiling at him, she was so cute... And remembering how he had been impressed by the Changs’ loving and caring family relations when he came for business some years ago, he thought that Julia would probably be happy here and in a far more loving home than the Mishimas’... Yet sadly, also poorer... He then told Michelle and her mother:

"Excellent! I’m certain you’re both a very good mother and grandmother to that little girl! Here’s a gift:"

And Lee took out 200$ from his wallet and gave it to Michelle who politely refused.

"Huh, no, thanks but... We don’t need it."

"Yes, you do! Here’s more!"

And Lee got 300$ more from his wallet.

"What?!"

"Take it please! As appreciation for your help! Now may I see my box, please?"

Michelle once more refused the money and Lee kept it in his hand.

"Ah, your box...? So it came from you?"

"Yes. You didn’t open it? I left a paper in it. Well, Seiko is supposed to have left a paper, telling it was mine and to not touch it. Hum... You received the right box? Right?"

Now Lee was worried: What if all the fears he had before coming here came true? And he lost his box? But Michelle reassured him by saying:

"Well, a box from a Seiko Matsumoto. I guess it’s the same person."

Lee seemed relieved.

"That’s her! My good friend! I’m so glad she did it! Excellent! Thank you again!"

And Lee hugged Michelle and kissed her before he kissed the baby as well. Michelle backed away, a little intimidated by this but said nothing. Lee probably wasn’t kissing her with some lustful or amorous intends... He probably wasn’t interested in her, it probably was his enthusiasm making him act like this. Besides, he kissed her on the cheek, not the mouth... and he also kissed her mother... and the baby... Seeing how he looked so happy, he probably would have kissed anyone around... Michelle already had to get rid of Ganryu’s annoying love, she didn’t really want to explain to Lee that she wasn’t interested in him either. Lee may be more handsome than Ganryu, they both were kind but she just wasn’t interested in dating anyone...

When they were at the Tokyo airport, Ganryu had insisted for them to accompany him to Hawaii where he said they would be safer and that he would protect them... He told Michelle he would take care of her and love her forever... and they would marry... He finally let go of his idea after Michelle told him she loved her native Arizona and wanted to go back home but he didn’t seem to have quite understood that Michelle didn’t love him, telling her he would wait for her and that he would make her proud when he would becomes successful with his restaurant, that she will see his worth and love him... He just thought she was undecided right now...

Michelle was really embarrassed, he was a good guy but she just wasn’t interested, even if he would have the most successful restaurant in the world... At least, during her mother’s rescue, Lei Wulong or Wang Jinrei were near when Ganryu was trying to express his love to her... She sometimes felt uneasy and awkward with him and wouldn’t have wanted to be alone with him... Not that she feared any physical attack (it would have been easier dealing with a fight) but she just didn’t know what to say or how to say it... She was glad when he was sent to protect her mother... Yet her mother seemed to really appreciate Ganryu, remembering how he fought to keep her safe when her daughter and the others were coming to save her... But madam Chang knew her daughter wasn’t interested in him and always tried to politely interrupt Ganryu so that he would stop courting her daughter. Madam Chang gladly accepted Ganryu’s invitation once he would open his restaurant but later told Michelle she didn’t have to feel forced to go if she was too embarrassed... Michelle thought she probably will pretend to be sick or something to not come for the opening of his restaurant... Or maybe she will go since she would have to be polite but she really didn’t know what to tell him or how... Maybe she will tell him that she really wasn’t interested and he will finally understand... Maybe it will take years for him to open his restaurant and he will have forgotten her... Maybe he will find love in Hawaii... Michelle wished him the best and to be happy but she was not interested in a romance with him.

Calming down a little, Lee asked:

"Where is the box?"

"I put it in the shed."

Lee suddenly seemed worried.

"The shed? I hope it’s not too humid..."

"I don’t think so, you’ve seen how it is here?" answered Michelle, showing around her.

Gazing at the desert, Lee said:

"Oh, indeed..."

But he still worried for his precious flashdrives and CDs. A shed was not the best place for such things... Why was his precious stuff in such a place? Full of spiders and dust and things...

Michelle handed Julia to her mother and went to the shed with Lee. While walking toward the shed that was a little bit further, Michelle asked Lee:

"And what’s in your box? I thought it was a bomb."

Lee looked at Michelle, a little surprised.

"A bomb?"

"Yeah. It came from someone I didn’t even know, after that Mishima Zaibatsu affair... I thought it was from the Mishima Zaibatsu, hidden under some ordinary name... Heihachi Mishima wanting his revenge or something... I told myself I should call Interpol about it maybe or maybe I should open it myself to not be paranoid about everything but I kind of had not decided about it already and left it in the shed. So, what’s in it?"

Lee thought that Michelle had quite paranoid ideas but with all that she lived, she had reasons to believe it could have been... He also had his paranoid moments... And he indeed wanted to tell her to be careful now that his father was back at the Mishima Zaibatsu’s head. It seemed she was.

"My fortune. Not all since I have some investments at the bank that permitted me to come here and rent that car and will probably also grow more later but the box also contains my dreams..."

His fortune and dreams? Michelle looked at him a little surprised by all the value Lee seemed to give that box that she so carelessly put in the shed (Well, not too carelessly since it could have exploded, as she thought, but still...). Once in it, she showed the box and Lee ran to it, opening the cardboard box to uncover his precious violet box that he quickly hugged like a treasure before he quickly opened it with glee and some worries. Michelle never saw Lee so excited, mostly when he realized that everything was in it and began to cry in joy.

"Oh! And Seiko even put my necklaces and my Armani watch in it... Excellent... She’s so thoughtful..."

Kneeling before his box while putting back his precious expensive watch on his wrist, he turned to Michelle and told her once more:

"Thank you... I was so scared it wouldn’t have made it here..."

"And what’s on those CDs and flashdrives? Can I know?"

"As I told you, my dreams..."

Lifting his index in the air and quickly pointing it at Michelle, he continued:

"The plans for my future company! The plans for the future of humanity! Or as you said, a bomb, since once I start my project, it will come as a bombshell to the world..."

Daydreaming about his future successful robotic project, Lee muttered:

"Excellent..."

"Wow. Really?"

Michelle thought that those CDs and flashdrives were really important... The future of humanity? Lee was probably exaggerating... He seemed a little theatrical...

"Yes, really!" said Lee as he hugged his box once more, gleefully exclaiming again:

"Oh, Excellent!"

Lee took his box and got up. He then told Michelle:

"You have a baby seat? I’m taking you all to the restaurant to celebrate!"

"What?" asked Michelle as she followed him to his car where he put the box in it.

Lee took out his 500$ he had put in his trouser pocket and gave it back to her.

"And like I said, take that. It’s not much but please, accept it."

Michelle rejected the money once more with a hand gesture.

"I don’t even see why I should get that money in the first place!"

"Because you guarded my treasure!"

"Well, you helped me so often that..."

Lee interrupted her:

"No, no, no! You take it! Beside I’ll soon become very rich! I just have to wait for my investments and for my company to start and grow and then I’ll make competition with the Mishima Zaibatsu! I’ll crush them..."

Lee thought that indeed, he could attack the Mishima Zaibatsu financially to get his revenge, no need to meet Heihachi face to face in a fist fight... He would be able to cause his ex-adoptive father some trouble anyway... and maybe the old man wouldn’t even realize that it was him... Yes, maybe he could somehow secretly stir some trouble for them... By allying himself with the Mishima Zaibatsu’s competitors or something... He knew much about the Mishima Zaibatsu that could be used against them... Once Heihachi would go bankrupt, he would give him twenty dollars to help him... Excellent... Michelle took him out of his revenge ideas:

"I... I feel bad taking that money... I didn’t even guard your things correctly since I didn’t even know it was yours... Besides, it’s far too much..."

"Then it’s for Julia’s school when she grows up. I like her. You won’t refuse a gift for Julia, no?"

Lee then became more serious and said:

"Besides you can also consider it as compensation for everything my ex-family did to you. I know it’s not enough and nothing will ever cover what your family suffered but at least, accept this."

Michelle smiled faintly, remembering with sadness all that her family went through, all the pain she went through, losing her father, fearing for her mother, and said as she took the money:

"Thank you then... I’ll use it for Julia..."

Lee felt more free now that he apologized to both of them... And that madam Chang and Michelle seemed to forgive him. Or rather, they never seemed angry at him for anything...

After a moment, Michelle added:

"But, huh... What happened to you in Japan? I know you lost in the Tournament but why have you sent your ‘fortune’ here? It went that badly for you and you feared to lose that box? You said you want to crush the Mishima Zaibatsu... Your adoptive father took it back and somehow disowned or threatened you? He found out what you did to help me? He was angry you took your adoptive brother’s side? Well, took your brother’s side, more or less I guess, since that ‘brother’ also threatened you as Wang Jinrei told me..."

Michelle remembered when she met Kazuya Mishima, he looked so evil... He was evil but he also emanated evil... She hated him so much, she hated how he was visibly enjoying her pain... Even if he didn’t kill her mother, like Heihachi had done to her father, he probably would have done it if they had not rescued her... He was so evil... Michelle had never seen someone so devilish in her life... Thinking about his adoptive family, Lee answered:

"They are both crazy... The Mishimas are crazy and evil... Yes, many things happened... My ex-adoptive father disowned me and it went badly but I’m still alive so somehow it went well."

Still remembering with some horror, Kazuya who was bleeding on the floor before he was thrown in the volcano, Lee added:

"It could have been worse. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, they say. And the old fool didn’t succeed in crushing me, even if he wished to."

"Hum."

The old fool tried to humiliate me and threw me away like garbage but he will pay... I’ll show him one day! thought Lee who was still very resentful at how Heihachi treated him that day he exiled him and then thinking how his adoptive father always treated him with disrespect... That old fool...

Seeing Lee’s expression turning harsher, even to the point of hate when he mentioned his father, Michelle didn’t really want to elaborate on this... After a while, Lee calmed down and said:

"I really had to get away from Japan. With my box. And you? You and your mother had a nice trip back home?"

"Yeah. We’re kind of careful to not be attacked again by your... hum, ex-adoptive father but we had a nice flight, then came home safe. I’m glad to be home. I don’t want to hide."

She then added on a determined tone:

"It’s my home here and no one will take me away from it!"

After a moment, Michelle continued on a softer tone:

"I really love the place. I love nature... I love the morning when the sun appears... I love the birds... I love my place."

Lee smiled then said more light-heartedly:

"Excellent. Now let’s go to the restaurant!"

So Lee took the family in his car and they went to the nearest town. Yet the restaurant they went to was the same that Lee took mister Chang to years ago and it didn’t bring good memories. As he entered, Lee remembered how he began to work into corruption, how he discovered all those things his father was doing... Lee’s good humor began to fade again as he felt guilty and somehow began to remember everything that happened those last years... He didn’t think those memories would hit him so abruptly... He remembered mister Chang telling him he should leave the Zaibatsu in that same restaurant... He was so right... Mister Chang was wise... Yet it was the last time he saw him... before he got killed by Heihachi’s orders... and he also felt bad for the Chang family again. He then asked:

"Is there another restaurant around here?"

"Not really... Well, there’s an ice cream bar not far..." said Michelle, who knew how different from Tokyo her region was. Lee must really not be used to this... Even when he was living here, he was living in what? San Francisco? Michelle didn’t really remember but she didn’t see Lee living in a small rural town... It was quite the contrary with Michelle, she always felt so lost wandering in Tokyo... So full of people... full of lights... full of cars and pollution... Here, in Arizona, she could feel the air, the freedom, see nature in its whole as buffalos were running around (sadly, the few remaining with the intense hunting they fell prey to)... She loved her place so much... As she told Lee, she wouldn’t leave, even if Heihachi Mishima was trying to scare them. She then asked Lee:

"Why? You don’t like it?"

Lee didn’t want to bring down the Changs so he didn’t want to tell them about the fact that he took their husband or father to this place before mister Chang would die... They didn’t know and he was here to thank them and give them a good time, not to bring them down, he already spoke about the serious things and wouldn’t go back on it, so he lied:

"Oh no. It’s just that I wondered... if it pleased you all to come here."

"Yes, it’s fine", said Michelle while her mother nodded.

Then hiding his trouble, Lee exclaimed on a cheerful tone:

"Excellent! Then let’s go inside!"

Yet once inside, Lee couldn’t forget all those things that happened then... But he tried to concentrate on something else, joking or complimenting the little Julia and playing with her. She was giving him such cute smiles... Lee was now trying to teach her how to do a thumbs up.

"No, you do this. Excellent!"

And Lee gave a thumbs up to Julia who looked at his thumb and smiled once more. He had tried three times to teach her and she was only finding it funny it seemed, not trying to emulate him... Lee tried again.

"Excellent!"

Looking at Lee’s thumb then trying to grab it, Julia started to laugh.

Babies really laugh at anything, thought Lee who turned to Michelle and her mother and said:

"She won’t do it."

"But she loves when you do it... She smiles so much", said madam Chang, who was very amused by the scene. Lee turned again toward Julia and told her:

"Your smile is far better than a thumbs up! Right, Julia?"

And he gave another thumbs up.

"Excellent!"

Julia laughed again and Lee had much fun as well. Both Michelle and her mother were also enjoying the moment at the restaurant. Finally, all bad feelings of that last evening with mister Chang that Lee was having were forgotten... Julia took care of it...

After they finished eating, Lee took them back and went away. He now had his precious violet box with his flashdrives and CDs... and the assurance that both madam Chang and Michelle didn’t hate him. That was one good thing done... Now he would have to think about his future...


	40. Very long epilogue

While driving away, Lee did wonder where he would go now... He needed some tranquility... To forget it all, to relax... To hide from his father... Even if his father probably ignored him now, thinking he was begging in Shanghai or something... But he also threatened to kill him if he saw him again... Lee thought he needed to go somewhere calm to hide from his father and from what he did and what happened... To put all this behind and to know what he would do next... and how... He had no goals... Well, he had one, his excellent robotic company but somehow since it wasn’t already, he didn’t have enough money for it now, he had a big hole in his projects, he was really free now... He had never been free like this, he always had something to do, working for his father or for his brother... Of course, he had vacations but now he had complete vacations. Now, he could go wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted... Of course, he had to be cautious with his money and not spend it like a fool... He didn’t promise Wang to save his money since he didn’t want to feel bound to do so, he wouldn’t live like an ascetic monk but he knew he had to be careful, until his investment would bring more... So he now wondered what to do and where to go.

After some hours, driving on the road to bring back the car he rented in Phoenix (By the way, he still wondered where Paul and Marshall were now... but it probably would be hard to find them. He didn’t want to search through all the gyms and Chinese restaurants in the U.S. and he mostly felt the need to be alone now. Maybe he would try to find them later if he got some hints... maybe not), Lee then went to rent a room at some hotel. Once there, as the T.V. was on, Lee laid down on his bed and wondered what he would do once more.

Lee didn’t want to go back in Asia since his father probably tarnished his reputation as he told him he would and since Heihachi had more control over that part of the world, despite having in fact much control around the whole world, Lee thought it would probably be more peaceful for him in the western hemisphere. Besides just thinking about his father, about his life in Japan and all that happened, made him feel quite angry, traumatized and regretful... Thinking of what he had just lost... He had lost the world... The Mishima Zaibatsu was one of the most powerful multinational conglomerates in the world! And it could have been his! A multinational and extremely profitable corporation! He could have controlled it! Just thinking of this was driving him crazy with revenge and regrets...

And that monster Heihachi chased him away like a beggar... like a traitor... Yes, Lee knew that he somehow betrayed Heihachi but Heihachi betrayed him first. By treating him like nothing, by playing the Zaibatsu, by never caring for him... They never had any reciprocal loving ties despite Lee having affection at first for Heihachi, and they never would again... That old fool was a stranger now... A despicable stranger... Luckily, he never had real family ties with that man or else he probably would have been thrown into the volcano as well knowing Heihachi’s fatherly instincts... Old fool...

Thinking again of all that happened, Lee had difficulties getting out of that traumatism. All the crimes Kazuya did those last months, how Kazuya died, how he thought he would die as well, the beating he received from his father, the exile and humiliation... All the crimes the Mishima Zaibatsu did while he was there... He should forget about it all and just watch television for now... Every times he was alone, those thoughts and memories came back...

Absent-mindedly watching television, Lee thought that he would probably have to leave the United States... Too much bad memories even here... He first thought that it would remind him of his first time when he came to the United States, when he was almost completely free from his father’s domination. Of course, he had to work for him, he called him very often to report on the business, Heihachi’s councilors were there to guide him in doing their boss’ will, he was always reminded of Heihachi and the Mishima Zaibatsu but he didn’t wake up and see Heihachi or Kazuya walking around the apartment and didn’t witness their eternal fight or endure their annoying abuse... He was free, he was rich and he was far from them both... Apart from that small jealousy he had toward Kazuya who seemed more important since he was still with their father, life was excellent in the United States then... Until that amulet affair and when Kazuya ‘died’ and then, despite becoming the only heir, he feared even more his abusive father as he learned more and more about the corruption of the Mishima Zaibatsu and was forced to participate in it... He then learned that there was a price to pay to live that rich life... The restaurant he went with Michelle and her family reminded him too well of that dark side... Maybe he should just go to another state... The United States were big... Lee thought that he needed to go somewhere completely new, that he had never been before... To start his life anew...

* * *

The next morning, Lee looked in some newspapers for a job while eating his breakfast. He still didn’t have all the money he thought G-Corporation would bring him so he had to find something to live on for now... He couldn’t always live on his loan... After a while, Lee found the ideal dream job: a substitute math teacher position in the College of The Bahamas. The Bahamas were a place where he had never been and being a math teacher seemed interesting... So Lee suddenly exclaimed in the small hotel’s restaurant, awakening the still not fully awoke customers who were eating their breakfast:

"EXCELLENT!"

Somehow appealing to his more intellectual side (and hedonistic side since the beaches of The Bahamas (and the many women on it) seemed really enticing...), Lee quickly applied for it. He had never studied to become a teacher but he had a high academic education, he was really good with numbers, both with his business knowledge and his scientific robotic knowledge so he thought he had a chance to get the job. Too excited about it, he even went to the Bahamas by plane as soon as possible to apply in person and to show his interest. He wanted that job, he had to get that job!

* * *

Yet apart from his extreme interest in the job, his business studies and excellent grades, Lee didn’t mention he worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu, he didn’t want his father to know where he was now in case they were looking for his references and somehow just by informing themselves, they informed Heihachi that he was not begging in Shanghai... Heihachi may want to destroy his life, just to teach him that he was worthless... Old fool... Heihachi always liked to put him down... So Lee wanted no one to know of his ties with the multinational Mishima Zaibatsu. Once more, like when he has in the United States and using only the name Lee Chaolan, he could avoid associating with the Mishima name. Beside he wasn’t a Mishima anymore... and had never been...

Luckily, even without his work references, he was chosen anyway since he always had the best grades of his class when he was at the University of San Francisco and he was remembered very positively and fondly by his teachers. They gave very good words in his favor to the College establishment and his natural charisma and charm did the rest.

So after signing his job contract, Lee went to the beach, in the hope that the normally happy place could bring him joy and take away the late bad memories that were always coming back. Even if he was totally excited over his new job, Lee was still haunted by all that happened lately, depressed and angered over his giant loss that was the Mishima Zaibatsu, over his exile, somehow still fearing Heihachi would take away from him what he just got, so he wanted to think about fun things. So once at the beach, he stared at people playing volleyball, at the attractive women, at the people swimming and having fun, at the attractive women, at children building sandcastles, at the attractive women... He also enjoyed very much the feeling of the warm sun on his skin... Luckily, he had some good suntan over his delicate and pale skin, the sun was good but he didn’t want to suffer sunburns or age too quickly... He replaced his sunglasses that protected his eyes from the sun as he walked around the beach enjoying the place more and more. This place seemed excellent... Walking on the beach, still admiring the beautiful women and the beautiful sight, Lee noticed something a little further; people were flying, sitting in a harness suspended below a fabric wing. They were floating in the wind...

"So that’s paragliding... Seems fun... I’ll have to try... So, Otousama, you think I’m actually begging in Shanghai? Old fool... You won’t spoil my fun... You won’t destroy my life... Drat! Why do I think about you again? Now you spoil my fun..."

He then added:

"Unless my fun is knowing that you didn’t break me... and to one day show you..."

Gazing at the horizon, Lee once more thought about revenge. Heihachi took away everything from him, yes, he had some money now and he would make more soon... He had a job now... Later, his investments will give him even more money and he will be able to launch his great company... his robotic company... and he would just keep on getting richer... but he would have had so much more if Heihachi had not exiled him... It would have been so easier to launch his robotic projects with the Zaibatsu...

Damn Heihachi... Lee still couldn’t get over the fact that it was Heihachi who began to hurt everyone, curse or no curse, he was the one who killed his wife, his father (knowing Heihachi, Lee had no doubt he really killed those two...), who mistreated and killed his son... He was the one who humiliated him... Who laughed at him for years... Who forced him to be corrupt... Who killed many people like mister Chang... And he was the one winning now... Old fool... Even if Kazuya was as corrupted, and even more, he was so right to want to kill that man... _Show him that he cannot destroy you_... Yes... you’re right, Kazuya... and destroy him later...

Still vengeful and humiliated, angry at his defeat, thinking of how Heihachi treated him all his life, Lee kept imagining every way possible that his father could die or be humiliated... But he had to leave that state of mind, he had to forget about the last events, they were only making him feel angry or sad... He had to forget this... He had to get over this...

Despite having those vengeful moments, Lee did try to forget. He loved his new job and the pretty secretaries and pretty teachers he worked with. Yet he was warned sometimes to stop flirting with the feminine personnel. Lee didn’t really understand why it bothered them so much, no one ever complained in the Mishima Zaibatsu... It probably was because he was the boss’ son or brother... Yet he didn’t force anyone to go out with him or kiss him, but still... Maybe he got too close? Or insisted too much? Or stared too much? Whatever, Lee tried to not flirt with anyone while at work. Anyway, he loved teaching math, it was fun.

* * *

Lee had many people around him, his colleagues, students and mostly many women on the beach where he could flirt but he somehow was living in solitude, remaining secretive about his old life. He never told them he was the Mishima Zaibatsu’s CEO adoptive son and that he had lost it all. He wished to speak of his previous life to no one... He had seen enough... Done enough... All ending in death and failure... In murders... Most people didn’t know about the Mishima Zaibatsu or barely, and he wanted to remain anonymous over this. So despite being very often with many people, looking very friendly, he kept distant and secretive, he wanted his past to be behind him and since he had a chance to begin his life anew, he never spoke about it. Despite being very often in the company of people, at the college, at the beach, at the discotheque, places he wished to feel alive to get back his pep, his love of life, Lee was alone. They were there, they were having fun with him but he never confided anything and mostly lived his life, making decisions or taking care of his problems, alone.

Lee had tried all his life to be accepted by his adoptive father or have a decent relation with his adoptive brother and it never worked, he found out that he was far better alone. Each day, after his job, Lee was going to walk alone alongside the beach as the sun was setting. During all his long solitary walks on the beach at sunset, Lee mused about his past and his family, sometimes having revenge ideas, sometimes feeling sad and sometimes wanting to leave all this behind.

At first, he hated his father and kept remembering all he had lost then after a while, he began to enjoy his life far from his evil family, far from crime and all those troubles. He decided he wouldn’t waste his own life in hate and resentment. He was now enjoying his freedom and he wouldn’t spoil his life with Heihachi... Vengeance was futile, Lee didn’t forgive but would not let the old man waste his life...

Beside Lee knew that he did owe something somehow to Heihachi who indeed took him out of his misery. Despite the bad treatments, he did indeed get him out of poverty... Without that man, Lee didn’t know what would have happened to him, how he would have lived... Heihachi didn’t care about him, even scorned him, it hurt him indeed but the old man still gave him a quite comfortable life... Despite the fact that Heihachi taught and even forced him to do things Lee thought were evil, he wouldn’t have learned the business world like he did without his adoptive father. He wouldn’t even have been allowed to hang near that world... He would probably have some cheap paying job somewhere... Instead of having been at the head of a business, he would be at the bottom... Slaving for some abusive employer... Yes, he somehow did owe Heihachi yet with the mistreatments and humiliations his adoptive father gave him, he considered his debt paid. Beside Heihachi himself told him that he never did this to help him but only to annoy Kazuya...

And Kazuya... Lee still pitied him when he got killed but after a while, like the first time Kazuya ‘died’, Lee got over it and even began to think it was better that Kazuya was dead. Kazuya was so evil... All those things that horrified Lee when Heihachi was at the head of the Zaibatsu, Kazuya did three times worse. Lee now only remembered the bad things, which were far more numerous than the good ones, that Kazuya did to him. No, he didn’t miss his brother... Kazuya had a sad life and he had worked hard to make a lot of other people’s life a living hell as well but it was over now and Lee just didn’t care anymore.

Somehow keeping anger inside to get some revenge later was really destructive and Lee didn’t want to suffer from this, like his brother had suffered and had even let that vengeance consume him... Kazuya could probably have had a better life if he had left that anger and hate behind him and had forgotten about his father but there was also that curse between them, so Lee didn’t know if any of this could have been avoided yet he would not get sucked into that endless hate bottom... After all, he was not a Mishima... That curse did not affect him and he won’t willingly throw himself into it... He asked himself:

"Do I really want to become like them? To have my life guided in the pursuit of revenge and hate? I tried all those years to stay out of it, I won’t fall into it now... I won’t continue that cycle of hate and revenge... It has to end... I’m out of this and I won’t go back into that hateful circle... No, I want to have a joyful life and I’ll show my father... No, I don’t even need to show him, I will be happy."

He had to either get revenge or stop thinking about it. And since he didn’t want to waste his life like Kazuya, hating on his father, he decided to let go and chose to live a free and happy life, far from hate and revenge. It was better to forget Heihachi than to permanently think bitterly of him... If his father couldn’t bring good memories, he just had to forget about him.

He was happy now in the Bahamas, why go back to argue and get revenge? Beside Heihachi will die one day and maybe he could try to take the Mishima Zaibatsu then... Maybe... Lee wasn’t sure he wanted to go back there but maybe it could be possible to come and take it somehow after the old man’s death... Without getting into a war with him first... Lee started to wonder: Who will inherit the Zaibatsu? Kuma? Kuma II? Kuma one hundred? Heihachi would have been really old if Kuma one hundred was to inherit but who knows? Sometimes Lee had the feeling Heihachi would never die... He seemed so invincible... But he still was human, so he probably will die one day... Probably some important executive will inherit, in Kuma’s name...

But maybe it wasn’t even important to get the Zaibatsu... Of course, Wang wanted it for Jinpachi’s honor and it was quite a renowned and glorious corporation, Lee wouldn’t refuse it but he knew he would not go back if it was to fall once more into anger, resentment, hate... It just wasn’t worth it. Heihachi could keep the Zaibatsu, give it to any bear he wished, Lee didn’t really care...

Somehow the peace he now felt in the Bahamas inclined him to forget about all this. Now far from Japan, from his father, he was also far from hate and grudge.

He then said on a serene tone, speaking to himself as he laid down on a deckchair on the beach:

"And to think I had to go through all this before I understood that my place wasn’t even there..."

* * *

Yet Lee also often thought about the flashdrives he had with many of the crimes Kazuya did. Somehow it was worth something... It was important... There were severe crimes on those flashdrives... Crimes Heihachi may have taken care of but not of all of them since he was also a criminal himself and may have kept some for his own benefit or may have ignored others that didn’t threaten the Mishima Zaibatsu’s honor...

Looking at his violet box holding all his flashdrives and CDs, among them that information about the crimes as he was now alone at his apartment, Lee wondered if he should use those evidences against his father and the Mishima Zaibatsu...

"If one day I do something against him, it won’t be out of hate. But out of justice or something... There are crimes that need to be taken care of and not forgotten... But I’d rather stay away from all this... If I fall back into this, it will be as worse as falling into revenge again..."

Lee knew it wouldn’t take much to ignite his revenge desire again, despite his newfound peace of mind... He didn’t want to go back there...

"Beside, will everything be over once I get rid of that information and give it to justice? Will I be rid of the dilemma or will it only open the wounds? Otousama, well, Heihachi, is taking care of most of those crimes... but I could hurt the Mishima Zaibatsu with it... and probably not be accused by justice myself since I have nothing to do with many of those crimes and justice would probably protect me if I talk... But right now even Ot... Heihachi is protecting me somehow... Those crimes I did under his leadership, he won’t tell and those I did under Kazuya’s leadership, he will hide... For the honor of the Mishima Zaibatsu, I’m safe as well... Kazuya is dead, no need to accuse him of anything now, but it could maybe serve against some other criminal organizations... that my ex-adoptive father is probably taking care of himself... or not. Maybe I should forget about it all... but then if I don’t get rid of this information, I will never close the door to that period... What should I do?"

* * *

Some times later, Lee and Lei Wulong were sitting at some quiet café in Nassau. Lei Wulong was putting some small flashdrive in his pocket after closing his laptop.

"Thank you, mister Lee, for those important pieces of information about those crimes rings. It shall be really useful."

"Glad to have helped you, mister Lei... I somehow promised you that I would tell you some things..."

Lei nodded. He was glad Lee called him now since he had lost him after his defeat at the Tournament and sudden disappearance from the hospital... He honestly thought Lee was dead, killed by his father... As Kazuya must also be... Lei had no confirmation concerning Kazuya since they never found his body and Lee told him he didn’t know what happened to Kazuya but Lei had the intuition that Lee was lying on this... And now, after having quickly glanced at the information Lee just gave him, he also wondered something...

"... But... quickly going through it, I have noticed that you have nothing directly incriminating the Mishima Zaibatsu on those... You’re still loyal to your father?"

"No. I just... I just want to forget it all. I don’t want to be involved in anything with him anymore. If I give you what I have on him, he’ll come for me. I more or less fear him but mostly I don’t want to see him ever again. Those other crime groups don’t scare me at all and I just don’t care about them. Well, they don’t involve any emotional dilemma for me, so have fun taking them to prison... and if they come and try to hurt me, I’ll have some fun practicing my martial arts... It’s really peaceful around here, I might get bored one day..."

Lee wouldn’t say one other reason he didn’t denounce the Mishima Zaibatsu was that he didn’t want to be accused as well... Once he attacks the Zaibatsu in justice, the protection Heihachi was giving him for the honor of the Zaibatsu, will be destroyed... They somehow were intertwined on this... Maybe Lei Wulong already knew about some things incriminating Lee but he didn’t mention it as he thanked Lee once more and got up from his chair after finishing his meal.

"Well, thank you again, mister Lee. I can understand you don’t want to risk your new comfort... The place is really great..."

"Yes, it’s excellent", said Lee as he gave a thumbs up to Lei who was now preparing to leave.

Lee had taken out all incriminating information on the Mishima Zaibatsu and only kept the rest, concerning Kazuya’s allies, to give to Lei Wulong. He had finally decided to not incriminate his father and the Zaibatsu, for three reasons: It would also incriminate him, Heihachi would kill him and the last, not because he would fear Heihachi most of all but he had enough of the hate and fights and wanted to be free from those wars. But those information about the other crime groups would have annoyed him all along, knowing he had them but didn’t share with justice, somehow protecting all those child and slave traffickers and other criminals of the sort, some of the worst and most despicable kinds, so he got rid of those information while not giving the Mishima Zaibatsu ones to not get into a war with his father.

* * *

In the meantime, Bruce Irvin was training at some remote survival school. Like he and Kazuya had agreed, Kazuya was to call him back when he would have killed Lei Wulong. But Bruce never received that call. And as he learned later, Heihachi won the Tournament, Lei Wulong wasn’t dead and Kazuya was nowhere anymore... Bruce didn’t take long to guess what happened... His friend was dead...

"Damn! I should have been there. The old fool killed him..."

Hating even more Heihachi, Bruce sworn he would take the side of anyone against the Mishima Zaibatsu to avenge his friend...

* * *

Meanwhile, some scientific expedition was exploring some volcano in Japan... One of the scientists suddenly noticed something and told his nearest comrade:

"Hey, look! Something is over there..."

"What’s that? Some giant bat?" asked the other as he mostly noticed the creature’s large bat-like wings.

The other replied as he got nearer:

"No. It’s... It’s a man... Well, humanoid... It seems dead... It looks like some kind of half-mummified devil... with karate gi pants..."

"Maybe an alien? A mutant? Let’s take it back to the lab, to study it..."

The first man then added:

"God, I think the karate gi pants are the most mysterious piece of all with that strange creature..."

So the men took the corpse and put it in their G-Corporation helicopter before they left with that amazing discovery.

When Heihachi had thrown the almost dead Kazuya in the volcano, he had looked at Kazuya falling until his son hurt some rock protruding out of the rock face, seemingly breaking his back, and then turned around to go away. There was no way Kazuya would survive this... There was now only lava under him... There was no way Kazuya would fall elsewhere than in the lava now.

But he had not thought that Kazuya, despite his extremely weak state, would wake up while hurting the rock and then quickly find the strength to change into his Devil form to glide on the side of the volcano and avoid the lava. But already too weakened, his back broken by the rock he fell on, Kazuya had not been able to land safely, he broke one of his wings, several other bones as well and slowly died on the side of the lava... Hating on and cursing his father until the end...

* * *

Some months later, Lee was looking at his investments on his laptop and suddenly realized something about G-Corporation.

"Oh! G-Corporation seems to be on something big... Their shares have improved a lot... Excellent! I knew they would! Isn’t great, Combot?" said Lee as he gazed at his miniature robotic scale model he had made.

With that money G-Corp was making and that part he was also making, soon he would be able to work on a human-sized prototype Combot... Lee was so proud of the name he had for his future robots... They will fight and they are robots... Combot... Excellent... But he was mostly proud of the system he worked on that enabled his robots to mimic the moves of the opponent and then record it in its database. He had started working on that mimic thing since he had worked at the Mishima Heavy Industries but never really developed it, never had time for it, so the idea was still only theories and basic plans... Soon he would have the money to try to develop it and test it... and hire workers to help him.

And with his excellent mimic system, those robots could serve for anything. If they could correctly mimic someone else’s gesture, they could replicate it, so they could not only learn to be security guards and fighting machines, they could also learn to wash the dishes, replace a tire on a car, sew clothes, any manual labor could be learned by them and done exactly as showed... Robotisation was not a bad thing as some people seemed to believe... It would be so great for humanity... There would be no more abusive labor, no more children labor... The worst would be done by robots... Leaving only the more dignified and easy jobs to humans... Humanity would then work less and only enjoy intellectual, fun activities and never be forced into abusing and undignified work again...

* * *

Meanwhile, Ganryu had decided to start a sumo stable instead of a restaurant since he knew more about this than about restaurants. Restaurants were great but he just realized he didn’t know enough to start one, he would have to learn more if he wanted to do so one day... as he also realized that maybe Michelle wasn’t interested in him... Retrospectively thinking about the rescue and all that happened, he realized that Michelle really was avoiding his romantic declarations... But it was okay, she probably liked him anyway, even if she was not in love with him and mostly, he realized that he loved himself now that he had taken a good path... Having helped her against the powerful Mishima Zaibatsu, he realized how fulfilling it was to be on the good side and he was proud of himself now. Really proud, it wasn’t the kind of harmful pride he had when he was in the sumo wrestling business... When he was obnoxious and arrogant. It was the pride of knowing you did the good thing... and he knew he would be able to teach young sumo students to not get taken by harmful pride... Yes, he would teach sumo wrestling in a good way...

* * *

After his investments from G-Corporation were now bringing him lots of money, Lee could finally use it. He then left his full time teacher job, working only part time, to concentrate more on his robotic researches and to begin his excellent project, his robotic company that he named Violet Systems... Once his company began to be successful, he completely left his teacher job and worked full time on his business.

With the success of his company, Lee also gained a lot of self-confidence. Self-confidence that he probably would not have if he had stayed in Japan near his indifferent and scornful father, inheriting the Zaibatsu. Even if he would probably have been richer than now. Far from the harmful influence of both his adoptive father and brother, Lee really felt better. They were not here to tell him he was weak, that he had failed or whatever way they used to belittle him. Now that he was free, no Heihachi or Kazuya to answer to, to insult him or to put him down, Lee had begun to appreciate that freedom and his self-confidence began to grow. He did make mistakes along the way of starting his own company but no one would tell him he was a loser. He now didn’t have to prove anything to anyone, he was successful and he knew it. He was now flying on his own and he felt really proud of his own company... and of his beloved Combots.

The investments in G-Corporation and his own company were growing well and Lee now had the means to live like he did in Japan... Of course, he wasn’t as rich as the Mishima Zaibatsu, far from it, but he was rich anyway and he had a way of showing off his money to look even richer than he really was... Everything he was doing, everything he was buying, had to be big and look expensive. Now making much money, he bought a luxurious villa with a large pool where he invited lots of friends and beautiful girls... It was great to make money but it was also great to spend it and make others enjoy it as well, with the many parties he was throwing and even charities he was giving to. Everything was used by him for his amusement and business or given to charity. What’s the use of keeping excess money in bank when you don’t even use it? When it doesn’t even serve any purpose? Of course he kept much money for his investments but that money was considered used and he was still calculating his money, not throwing it all inconsiderately... but not keeping it all selfishly either... Despite looking quite frivolous, Lee knew what he was doing...

* * *

Fifteen years later at the Mishima Heavy Industries laboratories...

As some scientists were working in the Cold sleep room (since Heihachi had kept some of the experiments that Kazuya had begun even if he got rid of many he judged were too cruel for no reason, he kept those he deemed useful, even if they could be cruel), some strange surge of energy suddenly entered the Cold sleep machines and shut them all down.

"What the...?" said one scientist as all the lights shut down before they quickly came back. But despite the lights coming back, the Cold sleep machines were completely turned off.

"That’s no ordinary surge of electricity, it followed a specific path... Like if it was intelligent... It went to one of the capsule before it left and went to another..." said another scientist as he gazed at the computer.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I don’t know, its energy signature is strange..." answered the scientist, still trying to figure out what happened.

"Whatever, we have to get the test subjects out of there or they will die, if they didn’t already. They don’t have anything sustaining them now."

It had not been twenty years as it should have been, the unfreezing process was done too quickly with that energy failure, so the scientists worried and quickly got the machines out of the water pond to look at the subjects. Out of the four, two had not survived. But the two sisters had survived, probably because of their training as fighters and overall better shape. Once their capsule opened, they both gasped for air as the scientists quickly tried to take their vital stats for report. Still dizzy and disoriented, the brunette turned toward the blond one and asked her in worry:

"Nina! Are you okay?"

Seeing that the blond didn’t respond or even looked at her, too busy pushing the scientist trying to get vital stats away and getting out of the capsule, she asked once more:

"Nina?"

But the blond one didn’t answer more and only began to beat the scientists in the lab, grabbing the one near her and breaking his neck before she quickly jumped on another one. Getting out of the capsule as well, the brunette quickly went toward her sister to calm her down. She remembered she was in the Mishima Zaibatsu, her friend Kazuya’s company, those scientists were not supposed to be enemies, well, not to her... As for Nina... But apparently it was too late to save the scientists, they were all dead.

"Humpf. Still as violent as ever, I see... and ignoring me again..." said Anna to her sister who now turned toward her, ready to fight. 

Before Anna could do anything, Nina quickly ran to her and grabbed her neck, slamming her against the wall. Choking, Anna quickly kicked her sister away and as she coughed from the violent grab that almost killed her, Nina asked her on an angry tone:

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"What?"

The blond repeated on a harsh tone:

"I asked who you were and how do you know me? You talked like if you knew me. Who are you? Where am I?"

"Well, you’re my sister, Nina... I’m Anna..."

But then some alarm began to ring. Even if she knew that she was in the Mishima Zaibatsu, probably under the leadership of Kazuya, or maybe Lee, Anna was slightly embarrassed by all the corpses now lying down on the floor... How will she explain that? Probably by pointing at Nina... But her sister didn’t want to stay and explain anything as she then took one of the scientist’s gun (they carried guns in case certain ‘experiments’ became dangerous) and began firing on the guards who now entered the room while shooting at them both. Now thinking that she really was in trouble, Anna took a gun as well and helped her sister. It was no surprise that Nina would act violently to get out of here since she was a prisoner but why was Nina not remembering her?

Once it calmed down, all the guards being dead, Nina grabbed some scientist clothes and put them while she also ordered Anna to do the same, handing her some smock.

"Put this. We’ll pass as scientists and may escape more easily."

"It’s not really sexy..." answered Anna as she took some sexy pose and didn’t grab the clothes Nina showed her.

Nina violently threw the clothes at Anna and said:

"Shut up. You come with me and explain what happened since you seem to know about it."

She probably have amnesia but it seems she didn’t forget to be a bitch... thought Anna while putting on the smock and deciding that she would help her regain her memory but not before she would play with her sister a bit...

Maybe once they get safely out of here, she could find her the ugliest and most obnoxious guy and convince him to pretend he was Nina’s boyfriend... It’ll be fun to see Nina stuck with an ugly boyfriend or maybe the shock will restore her memory... Both of those were good options...

So for now, she decided to follow Nina and escape the Mishima Zaibatsu.

Anna and Nina quickly went to hide in a bar, where they learned that it wasn’t Kazuya, nor even Lee, the Mishima CEO but Heihachi once more. And the people in that bar then saw the most brutal break-up they had ever seen between Nina and her supposed ‘boyfriend’... Even Anna had not thought Nina would react so violently... She thought Nina would only be embarrassed or something before she would slap the guy... Anna thought that Nina may not remember her but she remembered very well how to kill... She was slightly disappointed that Nina seemed most and foremost an assassin before a sister...

* * *

Meanwhile, now a successful businessman of forty-two years old, Lee was surfing the web for news. He suddenly fell on those news from Japan.

"The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu and his grandson... Grandson? Jin Kazama... Oh, so Jun Kazama and Kazuya..."

Looking more attentively at the picture of Heihachi shaking hands with other businessmen while his grandson Jin was standing beside him, looking down on the floor, with a slightly bored, sad or even shy air, Lee noticed the stunning resemblance.

"Yes, that boy is not only Jun Kazama’s son, he is certainly Kazuya’s son as well, they look so alike... If he were still alive, Kazuya wouldn’t be able to deny it... That kid is truly his son... And apparently despite being Kazuya’s son, Heihachi accepted him... It’s written in that article that they are coming back from the opening of that new Mishima Zaibatsu branch in Thailand, before they both went to that international business meeting... He really wants everyone to see his grandson... His new heir... and it’s not a bear... It’s Kazuya’s son..."

Lee felt a bit of jealousy for how Heihachi seemed to have welcomed his new grandson while he never was accepted, Jin somehow taking the place he felt he should have had even if he did not have that so precious Mishima blood. Yet in some way, as his somehow adoptive uncle, he was happy but also concerned for the young man. Jin Kazama didn’t seem to be there since long, he probably didn’t know in what he was heading... If Jin was raised by his mother, he probably was a good person, Jun seemed like one, not like Kazuya, so he deserved to be the heir of the Mishima fortune, Jinpachi would probably like him but he was now entering a world of corruption that may destroy or corrupt him... Maybe Heihachi would even act cruelly toward him, no one knew what was happening between them when not in the spotlight... Jin may be Heihachi’s grandson but he was also Kazuya’s son... Something that Heihachi might always remember and loathe... with that Mishima curse...

On those pictures, Heihachi seemed happy and cheerful beside Jin, even proud of his grandson, grabbing him by the shoulders while Jin seemed to faintly smile but Lee didn’t trust the old man at all... He had seen what happened at home before, how not everybody knew how he treated his sons... Maybe Jin should have stayed with his mother where he was... But maybe he was also cursed and somehow drawn to that life of conflict...

"Well, Jin, I just hope you’re not following in your father’s footsteps... by being mistreated or by mistreating others... And I wish you good luck, for staying with that man... while not being a bear... I truly hope he will be kind to you..."

* * *

As Heihachi came back from those trips with his grandson, they were now greeted by the new Tekken Force while entering the Mishima building. Among the soldiers, a young half Japanese, half Swedish man named Lars Alexandersson, politely bowed to his CEO and his grandson as they passed before him, like all the other Tekken soldiers who were welcoming them. Yet he knew those two persons were not only his boss and boss’ grandson but also his father and half nephew... But he was in deep questioning...

He had left his mother in Sweden some years ago to go in Japan and meet with the man she told him was his father, the renowned CEO, Heihachi Mishima. His mother had pushed him to see his father, saying Heihachi Mishima did not have any legitimate sons anymore, no heir, so he would be happy to see him... She was happy for him, her only son would become a billionaire, part of the 1% elite... But despite his mother’s insistence, Lars didn’t dare present himself as Heihachi’s son already, he thought he would only be laughed at, not believed and thrown out of the place. First, he wanted to prove himself to that father so that once he got high enough in the Tekken Force hierarchy, he would be able to tell him and somehow make him proud, knowing his son succeeded in the Forces... But before he had deemed himself worthy enough to present himself to his father, not very long ago, Heihachi Mishima had found his grandson, so he may not really want to see his illegitimate son... probably not recognize him either...

Moreover, the more he got up in rank, the more Lars realized the Mishima Zaibatsu was not as good as he had first thought... as Heihachi Mishima was trying to show to the world... From outside, the Mishima Zaibatsu looked good, doing many good deeds to help around the world, but from the inside... Lars realized that his father was in fact corrupted and evil... Instead of him making his father proud, it was him being disappointed by what his father really was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all for my story. I went until the time when Jin meets Heihachi since that time was just before Tekken III. You mostly know the rest with the games.  
> Sorry if I forgot the follow-up of some characters and maybe put some not too important. Kuma I is dead and according to Tekken wiki, Kunimitsu has left crime and is now constructing air conditioners before she had her daughter Kunitmitsu II and sent her for her revenge. Some like Baek and King (and of course Jun) were attacked by Ogre and King died from it while for some others like Paul, life didn’t change much but Marshall was probably busy starting his restaurant chain Marshall China.  
> I did try to follow the real story for the most part, I do have differences in the story or the timeline of things happening but I somehow tried to put some things that could fit together and to make a progression in the characters' personality. So taking a lot of infos from the games and Tekken wiki I tried to make something that would make sense.  
> Lee does seems different than he is now but I did imagine Lee being less assured than he seems now in Tekken 7 since in Tekken 5 he almost seemed surprised to have beaten Kazuya and quite enthusiast (I know it's the same year as Tekken 7 but somehow I see a progression in the character throughout the games) and probably also more childish and docile toward his father since the spankings and noogies Heihachi gives him in Tekken Tag 1 makes it really look like it. Lee also seemed not too assured since I had read that he did have a depression in the official storyline.  
> I also did put his teacher job from the movie Blood Vengeance even if it's not canon, I like to get inspired from different parts.  
> It was said he trained with Marshall and Paul but somehow they never talk about it later, making Marshall and Paul hang with Steve but never with Lee so I thought that there must be a reason for this and they probably are more distant now.  
> Lee was not supposed to specifically know Michelle but since Julia works for him as a spy in Tekken 6, I thought he may have a reason to know her and trust her, so mixing Michelle's amulet story with Lee who went in the USA at about that time, made sense to me and gave a reason for Lee to know Julia in the future and be her good friend. Beside I think Michelle had been pushed aside too quickly and became unimportant.  
> Thank you to everyone who has read my story, I am very grateful and hope you had some fun reading it. :)  
> I need to say I found an excellent Kazuya writer with OneShotRevolt and we now write stories together where we can explore more the relation of the two brothers, a thing that was not done enough in the canon story and I am really happy to do so. We are the Writers Tag Team.


End file.
